To Love the Hated
by Tiny Anjel
Summary: Kaoru loathes the royal kin, and what better way to spend an year of her precious life than to 'audition' to be the queen? K/K ::Completed again::
1. The Dormitories

T.Anjel: Hehe.a new fic. I know, but I'm not sure if I'm going to continue this. This is just a test chapter. According to the responses I get, I'm either going to throw it in the trash or continue it. ::Shrug::  
  
Disclaimers: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me.  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 1  
  
"I never agreed to this!" Kenshin yelled angrily.  
  
"I did," his large shishou answered back simply.  
  
"Why? I could pick out a wife in due time," Kenshin argued, gripping the chair's armrest painfully.  
  
"You don't have that kind of time, baka deshi!" Hiko said, drinking his sake in annoyance. "You refused to marry any of the princesses, so now we're resorting to this. Don't argue with me. You're dismissed."  
  
Kenshin grit his teeth in anger, but managed to stomp away from Hiko's dark study. He had never yelled at his uncle before, and he definitely was never mad at him. Kenshin clenched his fists and walked along the hallway. Being crown prince was hell. He was forced to go to countless balls and dinners to meet up with princess after princess who spilled their pitiful selves over him, offering him of their love.  
  
Kenshin sighed and slowed his walk to a dawdle. He was on the top floor where his and his shishou's rooms were. Because there were such minimal rooms on that floor, the whole center of the entire level was cut away, making it a balcony, which oversaw the lower floor. And being that the land was so huge, there were only two floors, the lower floor and the top floor. Kenshin leaned his elbows on the balcony rail, watching the quiet bustling of the servants and maids of the palace.  
  
A loud shout sliced through the silence.  
  
"Let me go! You have no right to do this! Get off of me!"  
  
Kenshin raised his eyebrows in wonderment. Two guards were carrying a struggling woman into the palace. One held her flailing arms and the other guard carried her kicking legs.  
  
"Let me go!" With a last effort, the woman freed her right leg and kicked the guard holding her legs squarely in the jaw, knocking him over. She swiveled around and brushed her legs under the other guard's legs. He tripped over them and fell down, but he kept a hard grip on the woman's arms and dragged her down with him.  
  
The first guard who got kicked by the woman struggled himself up and pinned her legs down. "Stop trying to escape, Jou-chan!" he growled quite loudly.  
  
"Then let me go," she snarled.  
  
"No can do!" he replied cheerfully, helping his fellow guard up and keeping a firm grip on the woman. "King's orders."  
  
"Then take me to him," she said, keeping her voice low and steady.  
  
"No can do!" the guard repeated.  
  
"I'm not going to audition for some damn prince!" she yelled, thrashing once again.  
  
"How many times do I have to tell you? It's not an audition," the guard said, trying to keep her legs still.  
  
"How is it not?" she asked frowning, and keeping herself still for a moment and glaring into the guard's eyes. "I'm being kept here against my own free will for an year to be evaluated. Why, you ask? Simple! Because the prince can't pick out some dandy little princess from some other damn kingdom, and now's he's going to have a long line of single women from his own kingdom to pick from. And I bet that if he's not satisfied, he's going to go for some other kingdom! And back to being why this is an audition. Wouldn't it be great if one of these women were to be the next queen? What and exciting turn in life that would be!" The woman didn't seemed to have taken any breaths between her sentences and sarcastic outbursts. "Of course, the prince would expect all the women to line up at the door, and being his picky little self, he would choose the fairest of the all. So now, with this great able chance of being queen, who wouldn't put rouge on their cheeks and paint their nails and line up at the door? Hell, you might as well call it an audition! To be queen, to be exact."  
  
"What's so bad about that, Jou-chan?" the guard asked, staring right back into the woman's eyes. "You probably won't even get picked."  
  
"Then why am I here?" she yelled explosively, popping everyone's ears that were in range.  
  
"King's orders." And they were right back at where they started. The woman grumbled.  
  
"Now will you go to your room in silence?" The guard who hadn't spoken the whole time suddenly said.  
  
The woman grumbled something Kenshin couldn't hear, and suddenly she was being escorted quietly to the hallways underneath the balcony where he couldn't see.  
  
"Feisty one," someone said beside him. It was the guard who was arguing with the woman.  
  
"When did you get here, Sanosuke?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Aoshi's taking her to the room," Sano answered simply, staring down at the floor, feet below him.  
  
"Why was she being so resistant?" Kenshin asked.  
  
Sano shrugged. "She was shouting something about how she hated the royal kin and such. She wouldn't stop yelling or trying to escape the whole time we were in the carriage. I swear she never runs out of energy!"  
  
"Aa.," Kenshin said, slightly disappointed for no particular reason.  
  
"Well, I have to go pick up the rest of the girls," Sano said suddenly, getting off from the marble rail.  
  
"Aa, Sano," Kenshin quickly said before Sano climbed down the stairs.  
  
"Yeah?"  
  
"What's her name?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"The one that just came in?" Sanosuke inquired, pointing at another woman being escorted by another guard.  
  
Kenshin shook his head. "No, the rebellious one."  
  
"Oh her.hmmm. I think it was Kaoru. Yea. Kamiya Kaoru."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"There are no means of escape from this room, Kamiya-san," Aoshi said stiffly before shutting the door.  
  
"Mou! This is so unfair!" Kaoru said to no one in particular, scowling at the shut door.  
  
"Nothing in life is fair anymore. Kamiya-san, was it?"  
  
Kaoru turned around to see a petite young woman, dressed in maid's attire of an apron and handkerchief on the head. "You can call me Kaoru," Kaoru said with a small smile.  
  
"I'm Makimachi Misao," Misao said, putting out a hand of welcome. Kaoru shook it, and was immediate friends with the young woman. She looked around at her surroundings.  
  
"So this is where all the candidates are to be kept?" Kaoru asked. It was a large room, decorated in white. It was quite a huge room to be holding six queen sized beds, three on each side of the room. All of them had their own hangings and quilts. To the opposite wall of the entrance door, were three doors. As Misao later said, the left one was an enormous, walk-in closet full of dresses. The second one was a small hallway leading to three extremely large bathrooms, and the third door led to a smaller closet with nightgowns and even some gis and hakamas.  
  
"According to my instructions, you are to get a good night's rest, bathe, and pick out a dress for tomorrow," Misao said, as if reading it off of a pamphlet.  
  
"And what are we doing tomorrow?" Kaoru asked.  
  
Misao shrugged. "I'm not sure, but according to what Sae-san and Tae- san told me, all the women are to be treated as if they were the queen already, and according to their behavior and attitude, they will be chosen as the next queen or disqualified."  
  
"Is there any place that I could escape from?" Kaoru asked innocently, no wanting to be pampered for a whole year.  
  
"Nope," Misao said. "Your best chance of getting out of here is if you get the prince or king to dislike you immensely."  
  
"I see," Kaoru said. "I could do that. Well then. Oyasumi, Misao- chan!" Kaoru said good-heartedly.  
  
"You're sleeping already?" Misao asked. She consulted the high position of the sun. "It's so early!"  
  
"What am I supposed to do while I'm awake?" Kaoru asked, dragging a blanket from a nearby bed to the floor. "Bask in this rich glory?" She snorted. "I think not."  
  
"What are you doing with the blanket?" Misao asked, curiosity overwhelming her.  
  
"Sleeping on the floor," Kaoru stated, sliding herself under the quilted covers.  
  
"What's wrong with the bed?" Misao inquired.  
  
"It's too soft," Kaoru replied, turning over to her side. "I could probably drown in it if I sleep in it.'  
  
Misao sweatdropped. "You do know I'm going to have to report everything that goes on in here, ne?"  
  
"Report everything I said while you're at it," Kaoru said. "I might be lucky enough to get kicked out on the first day."  
  
"Are you usually this.eh.pessimistic?" Misao asked politely.  
  
"No," Kaoru replied. She sat up from the floor. "I just have this tad bit of dislike for the whole royalty thing."  
  
"Just a tad?"  
  
"Just a tad," Kaoru reassured.  
  
The door swung opened, and two other women were gently pushed inside. Their attire was almost the same as Kaoru's: Brownish rags and hand-made shoes. But both women seemed to like the richness and glory they were presented with.  
  
"Oyasumi, Misao-chan," Kaoru said, covering her form with the blanket.  
  
Misao gave a sigh, and introduced the other two women with the room and what they were expected to do.  
  
Tomorrow was going to be a long day.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaoru was the first to wake up. It could have been because she was the first to sleep. She yawned and stretched to her heart's content, and rubbed the remaining sleep from her eyes. She stood up and looked around the room. Snoozing women who, to Kaoru's guess, were wearing new, silk nightgowns took the other five beds. She gave a sigh, and heaved the blanket she used back onto its original bed.  
  
I might as well take a bath, Kaoru thought, and trudged along through the middle door. She grabbed a towel from a pile on the floor and stepped into one of the bathrooms. The tub is as big as my cabin, Kaoru thought with distaste and turned the modern faucet on. Steam immediately began floating from the giant tub.  
  
Kaoru stripped herself of her rags and stepped into the steaming water. I could get used to this, she thought, closing her eyes as the warmth overcame her senses into comfortable bliss.  
  
The rest of the morning was a blur. The other five women, as Kaoru had thought, were totally excited about the idea of being queen. They all took long baths and took their time in picking out a dress. Most of them picked fancy dresses with innumerable amounts of fluff and lace. All of it was giving Kaoru a migraine. She, herself, had picked out a simple, blue dress that brushed the ground. It covered her shoulders and had a very modest neckline.  
  
Misao entered their room and announced that breakfast was to be served. All of the women filed out feeling ecstatic and nervous. Kaoru was just feeling exhausted from wearing a dress. She followed the other women out but ended up tripping at the hem of her dress.  
  
"Kuso," Kaoru mumbled as she fell face-flat on the floor. Thank goodness it was carpeted.  
  
"Daijoubu?" Misao asked, kneeling over the fallen Kaoru.  
  
"I'm fine," Kaoru huffed and sat up. "Do you have a knife with you?"  
  
"Don't do it!" Misao said in sudden alarm. "You can live through this! Don't."  
  
"Baka," Kaoru said good-heartedly. "I'm not going to kill myself. I'm just going to shorten the dress a little."  
  
Misao let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "You could just hold the dress up while you walk."  
  
"I'm probably not going to remember to," Kaoru said and held out a hand. Misao put her pocketknife in it. With a loud rip, Kaoru cut off a foot of the dress off of the bottom.  
  
"You ripped so much off!" Misao exclaimed.  
  
"I could actually run in this then," Kaoru said with a grin.  
  
"But they don't expect you to run," Misao said pointedly. "I'll help you pick out another dress. C'mon, Kaoru-san."  
  
"It's okay," Kaoru said, getting up and dusting herself off. "I'm going to breakfast like this."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kenshin sighed. He was sitting at the end of the long maple table adorned with flowers and bowls of fruits. Hiko sat at the other end, looking satisfied and amused.  
  
"They're coming," Kenshin heard one of the guards say from the far wall. And just as he said it, a line of woman filed into the huge dining room. They all looked flushed and nervous as they all took seats near the middle of the table. They didn't seem to want to go near Kenshin or Hiko.  
  
Kenshin scanned the women and was looking for a particular woman who sparked his interest the other day. Kamiya Kaoru. She's not here, Kenshin noted with disappointment. Is she skipping breakfast?  
  
As the women seated themselves, the servants of the palace served mouth-watering dishes along the table. Hiko seemed to watching all of them, seeing who dared touch their food before he did.  
  
Kenshin's ears perked up at the hurried footsteps that approached the echoing dining room. It was Kamiya with a simple dress of blue, which was ripped at the bottom. She still looked beautiful.  
  
"Sorry I'm late!" she yelled out, directing her tardy comment at the king.  
  
Hiko eyed her. "What happened to your dress?"  
  
"Oh this?" Kaoru asked innocently, spreading her dress out like a fan. "I ripped it."  
  
Hiko raised his eyebrows, asking for an explanation.  
  
"I kept tripping over the hem," Kaoru answered honestly in a chirpy voice. "So I decided to rip the bottom off to make it more convenient for me."  
  
"Go change," Hiko commanded in a cool voice which made two women near him sigh.  
  
"There's no point," Kaoru argued back. "The dresses were meant for the women staying here for the time being, are they not? So I'm going to assume that this dress is mine, and unless you are planning to wear it, Ou- sama, I'm not going to change out of it."  
  
Kenshin could have sworn he saw a temple pulse on his shishou's forehead. "Well then. I suggest you eat your breakfast if you're going to be so stubborn."  
  
Kaoru kept her nose in the air and took an empty seat two seats away from Kenshin. A plate was immediately set in front of her with steaming eggs, pancakes and bacon. She had never seen this kind of food before. She prodded it with her fork, examining the oily strip of meat.  
  
"It's food from the west," Kenshin explained to the curious woman.  
  
"Sou ka," Kaoru said, still staring at the bacon and poking it. She plopped a strip in her mouth. "Oishii!!" Kaoru exclaimed, savoring the taste in her mouth. She noticed the disapproving looks she got from the other women. "Oh! Were we not supposed to eat yet?" Kaoru asked to the woman next to her quite loudly.  
  
"You're supposed to eat after Ou-sama and Ouji-sama take their first bite, tanuki," the woman replied back.  
  
Kaoru scowled at the nickname. "So when is Ou-sama planning to eat?" Kaoru asked.  
  
The woman shrugged. "Any time now.," she said watching the burly king. Kaoru tapped her foot while waiting for him to at least take a bite of his food. As if he had wanted to put the woman on hold, he slowly put a piece of his pancake in his mouth. Arrogant man, Kaoru noted and turned over to the prince who had already taken a nibble of his eggs. The other women began eating quietly and politely.  
  
Kaoru watched the prince from the corner of her eye and couldn't help admitting that he was quite good-looking. His flaming bangs just brushed over his soft, violet eyes, which was a combination Kaoru didn't usually see.  
  
It doesn't matter if he's good-looking, Kaoru thought to herself. He's still a prince, and he's probably some jerk wanting all these women. Feh! Kaoru slurped her miso soup loudly. She immediately perked up. She motioned for a nearby servant to come over.  
  
"Hai?" he asked politely, leaning over her chair.  
  
"What's in this?" Kaoru asked, pointing at the miso soup with her spoon.  
  
He sweatdropped. "I'm not quite sure, ma'am. I don't make the food."  
  
"Who does?" Kaoru inquired.  
  
"Tae-san and Sae-san," the man replied. "They're usually in the kitchens if you wish to speak to them."  
  
"I see. Thanks!" Kaoru chirped and slapped the servant on the back for good measure. He stumbled.  
  
"No problem," he said, and took his position back by the wall.  
  
Kaoru quickly finished the rest of the food, clanging her utensils and slurping her soup as she did. The women shot nervous glances at her, trying her to signal to her to eat more like a polite woman. Kaoru ignored them and downed the last of her food with large gulps of water. She slammed her glass down and gave a satisfying sigh. It sounded quite loud compared to the quiet way everyone was eating.  
  
Kenshin watched the woman with interest. She was definitely brave to have argued with the king, and she was most definitely high-spirited to brush away all the restraints that have been set up for all the women. Either that or she just wanted to get kicked out real bad.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
T.Anjel: Whatd'ya think? Review will yah? I'll love you if you do! 


	2. The Kitchens

T.Anjel: Everyone's reviews just made my day. ^^; I was like ^_______^ all day! Ohohohohohoho.. So.I decided to get the next chapter out faster than usual. I know Kaoru may be a tad out of character, but I personally think that she's capable of extreme rudeness, don't you?  
  
Disclaimers: Rurouni Kenshin does not belong to me. Period.  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 2  
  
Hiko daintily set down his chopsticks; his plate empty. A nearby servant automatically took it away. "You're all dismissed," he said simply, and stood up to leave.  
  
"What do you men, 'you're all dismissed'?" Kaoru asked from the other end of the table, making sure her voice was loud and clear.  
  
Hiko looked straight into her defiant eyes. "I mean that you're all dismissed," he repeated.  
  
Kaoru stood up, her chair scraping the marble floors. "And what exactly are we supposed to do?" Kaoru asked loudly, stomping her foot for emphasis.  
  
"Whatever you like," Hiko said with a small wave of his arm. "Get me some sake," he ordered to the servant who took away his plate. "I definitely need it right now," he grumbled to himself.  
  
Kaoru's lip thinned. Whatever I'd like? She let out a small grin. I could handle that. "Also!" Hiko added, turning around. Kaoru quickly wiped the smile off of her face. "The Ouji will personally meet and chat with two to three women a day, meaning everyone will meet with him once a week. Good day ladies." And with a dramatic swish of his giant cape, he strutted off to who-knows-where.  
  
"Really arrogant guy," Kaoru thought out loud with a huff. She stretched, yawning loudly and wiped the tears that squeezed through her eyes. "Well then, good day ladies," Kaoru mimicked the king in a sarcastic manner and strutted out of the dining room herself, deciding to look for the kitchen as she went through one of the five different hallways attached to the dining room.  
  
Kitchen, kitchen, oh where is the kitchen? Kaoru sang in her head as she walked along the silent hallway. Doors were everywhere left and right. Kaoru opened each one of them up and saw bedrooms, studies, parlors, libraries and offices. She sighed as she shut another door to a brightly lit study and continued down the spacious hally. She met up with another intersection, which helpfully looked identical to the other intersections she had encountered.  
  
Damn.I'm lost.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kenshin watched with sealed amusement as the Kamiya onna argued with Hiko. He had an urge to let out a laugh as he saw Hiko's mouth twitch with annoyance. Point one for Kaoru. He wanted to follow her as she walked off and talk to her, but all the women in the dining room seemed expectant for Kenshin to call out to one of the woman for a chat. He let out a silent sigh. He nodded to the closest woman to him. He might as well get this all over with.  
  
"Your name?" he asked. His voice came out smooth and suave.  
  
"Takani Megumi," she answered confidently, her white teeth shining as she smiled. She was a beautiful woman, Kenshin didn't deny, but she seemed..  
  
Foxy.  
  
"Well then, Megumi-dono," Kenshin said with a forced smile. "Shall we?" he lent out a hand, helping her out of her chair. She gave a faint blush and walked out with him down a hallway, giving a triumphant glare at the other women before she did.  
  
They felt slightly disappointed that they weren't the first to be picked, but knew their time would come. So they slowly made their way out of their chairs and decided to roam around the gigantic palace in pairs and trios.  
  
Kenshin led the tall woman to the study and to end of the room where there was a floor-to-ceiling window, which overlooked the large garden. He motioned for her to sit on a plush chair that was put there earlier. He sat on another.  
  
"Megumi-dono," Kenshin began in a forced tone. "Which town do you come from?"  
  
"I come from Shinachi," Megumi answered with a supposedly seductive smile.  
  
"Sou ka," Kenshin managed to say from under Megumi's intense stare. He had noticed earlier during breakfast that Sano seemed mildly interested in this beautiful woman. Kenshin decided to keep everything clean and simple with the Megumi woman. Maybe she would find some interest in Sanosuke as well. "What do you do for a living?"  
  
"I'm a doctor," Megumi answered with pride.  
  
"Women doctors aren't common," Kenshin commented. He was impressed. "What made you want to go out in the medical area of work?"  
  
Megumi shrugged her bare shoulders, which made Kenshin notice the dress she was wearing. It was an off-shoulder, extremely puffy dress of a dark blue. Intricate, white designs were sewed around the hem of the frilly dress. Why in the world did Shishou fill their closets up with western dresses? Kenshin wondered. "I was always interested in it," Megumi replied, bringing Kenshin back from his musings.  
  
And their question and answer conversation went on boring both people to the core of their being.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaoru gnawed at her lower lip. She was at another intersection. She covered her eyes with her hand. Eeni-minnie-minie-moe! Kaoru finger pointed to the left. Then left it is! The hallway was long and winded in every which way, which didn't help to lighten Kaoru's frustrated mood.  
  
Kaoru sulked along the hallway until she air's scent changed to an enticing aroma. "Food!" she exclaimed. She must be near the kitchens. Thank goodness! Kaoru quickened her pace and was met up with a large, oak door at the end of the white, marble hallway. She creaked the door opened a smidge, and delicious scents overwhelmed her suddenly enlarged nostrils. "Oishii," Kaoru mumbled, drool making its way down the side of her mouth. "Ah!" Kaoru stumbled forward as someone burst the door open from the other side.  
  
"Who are you?" a young boy asked who had obviously opened the door from the kitchen. He held a small basket of apples and carrots under his left arm, and his trousers and shirt smelled of horses. The stable boy, Kaoru guessed.  
  
Kaoru glared down at the smaller boy. "You should have more respect for your elders, boya," Kaoru said.  
  
The boy huffed. "Not if the elders are ugly busus like you," he retorted, sticking his tongue out at the woman.  
  
"Why you!" Kaoru was about the pummel the boy with her fists when a gentle hand lightly grabbed them before they could meet the boy's head.  
  
"Please excuse our dear Yahiko-chan," the woman holding Kaoru's hand back said.  
  
"Don't call me chan!" Yahiko bellowed and stomped away down the corridor, fumes emitting from his ears and his basket of apples and carrots rattling as he went.  
  
The woman let go of Kaoru's hand and gave her a warm smile. "You must be one of the new women here for the prince! You can call me Tae."  
  
A temple pulsed in Kaoru's head. "Please don't refer to me as a property of the prince," she said through a forced smile of gritted teeth. "And I'm Kamiya Kaoru," she added as if it were an afterthought.  
  
"Gomen! Gomen, Kaoru-san," Tae said apologetically.  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "It's nothing really, Tae-san," Kaoru said. "I just get touchy whenever it comes to the prince and this whole charade of picking out a woman."  
  
"Naze?" Tae asked, leading Kaoru around the kitchen so that she could have a look around.  
  
Kaoru gave a shrug. "Maybe because there are so many single princesses around the world, but he decides to pick some women in rags from the different towns in his so-called kingdom. I feel that this is all just for his amusement really."  
  
"The prince is a kind man, Kaoru-san," Tae said. "He's not one to use people for his fun and games."  
  
Kaoru shrugged again. "Anyway!" she said on a brighter note. "Is there anything I could do to help around here?"  
  
"Don't you have anything better to do than to hang around the kitchen?" Tae asked politely. "I doubt you want to stay here in this stuffy place."  
  
"When you say if I have anything better to do, do you mean strolling around in a pretty garden or sipping tea?" Kaoru asked.  
  
Tae gave a helpless shrug. "I don't know what they told you to do," she said truthfully.  
  
"Our dear Ou-sama said that we could do whatever we want," she said with a satisfied smile. "So is there anything I could do?"  
  
Tae handed Kaoru a mixing bowl with mix in it that was sitting on a counter. "You could make some sukiyaki with this," Tae said, pointing to a giant, black stove.  
  
"No problem!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kenshin sighed. He dismissed Megumi-dono from the study after forty minutes of nonsensical chattering. He stretched and looked out the window. About ten or so women were amusing themselves in the garden. She's not there, Kenshin thought, seeing that none of them wore a torn dress. I wonder what Tae-dono and Sae-dono are making for lunch today? Kenshin thought, exiting the study and taking a right. I really have to find something better to do with my time.  
  
Kenshin took a shortcut into getting to the kitchens. He was quite welcomed there being that he was one of the best cooks excluding Sae and Tae. Kenshin slowly opened the door and his ears popped at the sudden noise.  
  
"KAORU-SAN! FLIP IT OVER! FLIP IT OVER!"  
  
"I CAN'T! IT'S STUCK TO THE PAN!!"  
  
"FIRE!! FIRE!! FIRE!!"  
  
"KAORU-SAN! YOU'RE ON FIRE!!"  
  
"NANI?!! GET IT OUT!! GET IT OUT!!"  
  
"Oro?" Kenshin peeked inside the humungous kitchen and saw the whole place was a mess. All ten cooks were looked extremely harassed. The stove was spitting out fire into the air every so often, and the floor was covered in flour, spices and sukiyaki mix. Kenshin couldn't help let out a smirk as he saw Kamiya slapped at her legs as the fire caught onto the bottom of her dress. Tae was scraping off black remains of a sukiyaki pancake with a metal spatula, and Sae was trying to reheat the leftover miso from the morning on the stove without getting caught on fire.  
  
As if there was a switch for the noise, everything went quiet. Kaoru was on the floor, a part of her legs burnt. Tae had dropped the pan into the sink, and Sae was mixing the miso soup steadily seeing that the stove had stopped shooting fire. Kenshin gave a small cough to reveal his presence.  
  
"Ah! Ouji-sama!" Tae said, bowing embarrassingly.  
  
Kaoru made no motion at all except to stay seated on the stone floor and glare up at the prince.  
  
"It looks like you made quite a mess, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said with a warm smile, but it was quickly wiped from his face as a chill went down his spine. The woman was giving an aura of dislike. Dislike would be an understatement. Kenshin felt her hatred toward him, as the atmosphere around her seemed to explode with negative emotion.  
  
"Don't jump to conclusions, Ouji-sama," Kaoru commented, straining out the 'ouji-sama'.  
  
"Are you saying that this isn't your fault?" Kenshin asked. He felt the thick tension in the air, and he couldn't help feeding it.  
  
"I doubt I said that," Kaoru retorted. "This is only partly my fault. The fact that the stove was old and was disfunctioning was not my fault. Did I make it spit fire out at the cooks? I doubt it, Ouji-sama. But I'll admit that I burned half of the sukiyaki and spilled the mix. And if you'll excuse me, I've got some cleaning up to do." Her voice dripped with loathing and every bit of derisive bit she found in herself.  
  
"Kaoru-san! You're hurt!" Tae quickly said through the uncomfortable silence as she noticed Kaoru wince as she stood up. "You should go to the doctor. It looks bad!"  
  
Kaoru saw that her left thigh was slightly burned. It stung, but it was nothing she couldn't handle. "It's nothing," she reassured to Tae. "Is there a mop in here?"  
  
Tae nodded, scrambling to a closet in the corner for a mop. "I got it, Kaoru-san. Go to the doctor and check your leg. Please?"  
  
"I made the mess, and I'm going to clean it up," Kaoru said stubbornly, grabbing the mop from Tae's hands. She began to mop up the sticky mix, leaning on her right leg to do so.  
  
Kenshin stood by for a second to watch the persistent woman. He would have let her clean up and spoken to her later, but he saw that the burn was worse than what she said it to be. The other cooks hastily began to cook again, needing the food to be done by lunchtime. Tae watched Kaoru carefully; ready to catch her if she fell.  
  
Kenshin strode across the kitchen, avoiding the mix splats all over the floor. "Please excuse me, Kaoru-dono," he mumbled quietly before lifting the light woman into his arms.  
  
"What are you doing?" Kaoru yelled, kicking her right leg and thrashing in the prince's arms.  
  
"I'll take her to the doctor, Tae-dono. I hope you don't mind cleaning this mess up," Kenshin said with a smile.  
  
Kaoru tried to slide out of the prince's grip, but for a little man, he was quite strong. He strode out of the hot kitchen and walked steadily down the long hallway, which Kaoru remembered walking down in frustration an hour ago.  
  
Kaoru wiggled in Kenshin's arm for ten minutes without stop. His grip didn't loosen one bit. "Will you please hold still, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked, as the woman didn't stop thrashing.  
  
"No!" she answered stubbornly. Then asked, "How do you know my name?"  
  
"The guard, Sanosuke, told me," Kenshin replied honestly, taking a right as their hallway met with another. At least the woman stopped thrashing about for the moment, Kenshin thought with relief.  
  
Kaoru had no more energy to struggle against her will, but puffed out her cheeks and crossed her arms in a stubborn motion. She was personally humiliated and shamed for being carried like a sack of potatoes by none other than the prince. Sure, it didn't feel bad physically, but mentally, it was like a personal burning hell.  
  
Kenshin couldn't help peering down at the woman who was scolding herself and was obviously raging inside. She was most indeed an interesting woman. "Here we go," Kenshin said, knowing that Kaoru didn't very much care. He knocked on the wooden door with his foot. "Genzai- sensei?"  
  
"Oh! Ouji-sama!" came a muffled reply from inside, and the door flung open. It revealed a stout, old man with a kind, sincere face. "Whose this?"  
  
"This is Kaoru-dono, Genzai-sensei," Kenshin replied, entering the brightly lit room belonging to the good doctor. "She has a bad burn on her thigh." Kenshin set the furious woman down on a nearby bed for the doctor to examine.  
  
"It's not that bad of a burn," Genzai said, inspecting the wound.  
  
"Told you so," Kaoru growled to the prince. Kenshin pretended not to hear.  
  
"But you should have immediately gotten it treated, Kaoru-san," Genzai said with a smile. He began treating the injury when the door burst opened, revealing two children giggling with excitement. "Ayame-chan! Suzume-chan! What brings you here?" Dr. Genzai asked the two squealing children, while continuously working on Kaoru's leg.  
  
"Kaoru-nee!" Ayame yelled, recognizing the woman being treated by their grandfather.  
  
"Kaoru-nee! Kaoru-nee!" Suzume echoed, scuttling up to Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru gave a warm smile to the children. "What brings you here, Ayame- chan? Suzume-chan?" Kaoru asked, repeating the doctor's unheard question and squeezing Suzume's adorable cheeks lightly.  
  
"They're my grandchildren, Kaoru-san," Dr. Genzai answered proudly, wrapping up Kaoru's thigh. "They visit me every so often, but I'm getting to old to play with them."  
  
"Sou ka!" Kaoru said, her mood exceptionally brighter. She barely remembered the prince was in the same room as she was.  
  
"Kaoru-nee! Wanna play?" Ayame asked, grabbing Kaoru's hand.  
  
"Wanna play? Wanna play?" Suzume added, grabbing Kaoru's other hand.  
  
  
  
"You too, Ken-nii!" Ayame said, grabbing Kenshin's hand with her free one.  
  
I almost forgot he was here, Kaoru thought, her joyous face replaced with a frown. "I shouldn't walk around with this leg, Ayame-chan," Kaoru said, pointing at her bandaged thigh. "Go play with your darling Ken-nii," she added, drawling out the 'darling Ken-nii' line.  
  
Kenshin allowed himself to be led out by the two children around the palace to the fields where they fed the horses and teased Yahiko, the stable boy. He couldn't help watching Kaoru's warm smile as she noticed the two toddlers. She has such a beautiful smile, but she always frowns and scowls whenever she looks at me. What did I do? Kenshin thought innocently.  
  
"Ayame-chan," Kenshin said, calling over the older of the two children to his side.  
  
"Hai, Ken-nii?" Ayame said, bouncing over to where he sat on the grass.  
  
"How do you and Suzume-chan know Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Kaoru-nee? We live in the same town!" Ayame said with a smile. "And Kaoru-nee runs the town dojo! She's really good."  
  
"She's really good!" Suzume pipped up from behind Ayame.  
  
"Ken-nii," Ayame said, peering into Kenshin's face.  
  
"Hai, Ayame-chan?" he replied.  
  
"Kaoru-nee didn't seem to like you very much," Ayame mentioned innocently. "Naze?"  
  
"Naze naze?"  
  
"I don't know, Ayame-chan, Suzume-chan. Why don't you ask Kaoru-dono yourselves?" Kenshin replied.  
  
"Uhn!" Ayame and Suzume chorused with hearty nods.  
  
A bell rang from the kitchens. "Lunch time!" Ayame called out into the air.  
  
"Lunch time!" Suzume echoed. "Bye, Ken-nii!" And the two scuttled off to eat lunch with their grandfather in a separate dining room.  
  
Kenshin gave a small wave before getting himself up from the grass and heading towards the dining hall where Hiko Seijuro already sat. Some of the other women were bustling their way to the dining room, trying to catch the king or prince's attention as they swayed around in their enormous dresses.  
  
She's late again, Kenshin noticed, seeing that Kaoru's seat was empty. Hiko must have noticed it too, but their thoughts were both cut off promptly.  
  
"Sorry I'm late!" called out a spunky voice from one of the hallways. Kaoru was limping as she walked to her seat.  
  
"You hurt yourself already, Kamiya-san?" Hiko asked with a small smirk. He took a sip of his sake, watching her.  
  
"You seem quite happy at the fact, Ou-sama," Kaoru scowled.  
  
"Not really," Hiko retorted. He reached inside his mantle and took out a gold coin. He tossed it over to one of the guards as Kaoru recognized as the rooster-headed one. "You made me lose my bet," Hiko said with a feigned sigh of tragedy.  
  
"Which was?"  
  
"I said you'd end up hurting yourself by next week, Kamiya-san. Not as soon as today." Hiko grinned. Kaoru fumed at the insult of her clumsiness. And to think that only half of the day was over. The score was tied: one point for Kaoru, and one for Hiko. If this was how their meal was to be everyday, so be it!  
  
Lunch was hastily set up in front of everyone, and Kaoru noticed that even with her interference with the cooks, they managed to make a delicious meal. Kaoru glared at the prince who was eating his lunch in silence. The sight of him disgusts me, Kaoru thought, chewing mercilessly at her rice. Just looking at him, you may think he's a sweet man of worry who cares about his loved ones. Feh! I bet not.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
T.Anjel: A second chapter finished. I have so much in plan for these two!~ But unfortunately, I can't put it all in one chapter. Thanks again for the reviews! ::nudge nudge:: 


	3. The Library

T.Anjel: Sorry for the delay…hehe. Also! I forgot to write this in the other chapter, but someone…I forgot (gomen!) offered to be a pre-reader. Unfortunetely, he/she did not leave an e-mail address. So if you're reading this, or anyone else who wants to pre-read this fic, leave me an e-mail onegai!  
  
Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
  
To Love the Hated- chapter 3  
  
"I hope you don't mind if I leave the table first, Ou-sama," Kaoru drawled out to the other end of the table after finishing her lunch. She stood up, not waiting for his reply. Her leg wasn't much of a burden to walk with anymore. It felt quite fine to be exact. She strode out of the dining room, feeling that she needed silence and peace by herself. She had enough chaos for one day.   
  
Kaoru peeked into every room along the hallway to find a suitable room to relax in. She came upon the library, which was at the back of the palace. She shut the heavy oak doors behind her and looked around the huge library. The place was filled wall-to-wall with colorful books.   
  
I wonder if anyone read all these books, Kaoru thought, running her fingers through a shelf of worn-out, hard covered books. Here we go! Kaoru picked out a plain, thick, orange book and took a seat in a lounging area of the library. She picked a comfortable couch right by the large window that overlooked the fields where the horses roamed free and some of the garden beside it.   
  
Kaoru snuggled into the couch and began reading. She peeked outside and saw the familiar rooster guard from the other day hitting on the woman who sat next to her during meals. Kaoru let out a laugh. He was chasing around bushes, and by his motions, he was trying to act fluid and flawless. Good luck to him on that.  
  
Kaoru sunk herself lower into the soft couch and sighed as the silence wrapped comfortably around her. It was so peaceful, ne?  
  
And all good things must come to an end, mustn't it?  
  
From the corner of her eye, Kaoru noticed a certain redhead seating himself across from her on a similar armchair. He had a book of his own, and began reading, acting as if she wasn't in the room.   
  
If he doesn't talk to me, I don't plan on talking to him, Kaoru thought, eyeing her book.  
  
Kaoru finished up six pages of her book and noticed that there was actually a comfortable stillness in the air. And what exactly did that mean? She asked herself. She wasn't feeling a bit nervous around the man.   
  
Maybe he's not that bad of a guy as you assume him to be, a tiny voice in her said.   
  
Eh? Where did you come from? Kaoru asked the voice.   
  
Call me your conscience, it replied. But Kaoru! Why don't you set down your stereotypical barriers for the man! He doesn't seem that bad.   
  
Urusai! Kaoru said, pounding the voice in her head.   
  
"Ano…Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked nervously. She had been reading her book peacefully for a while, and a vein in her forehead began to pulse feverishly for no particular reason. What was she mad at?  
  
"Eh?" Kaoru said, looking from her book and from her inner havoc. "I'm fine, Ouji-sama!" She assured with a sarcastic flap of her hand. "But aren't you supposed to having one of those chats that the Ou-sama was talking about this morning?" Kaoru asked with curiosity. Fine! I'll see if his nice act is fake or not. Just for a few days! Then I'll go back to being a rampaging Kaoru.  
  
Agreed, the voice said and popped into nothingness.  
  
Eh? Kenshin was in a slight state confusion. She wasn't glaring or spatting out curses at him. She was actually looking at him in a normal fashion. "I am," he replied to Kaoru's previous question. "I'm having one right now with you," he completed.   
  
"Reading?" Kaoru inquired.  
  
"If that's what you prefer," Kenshin said with a smile and resumed his reading.   
  
Kaoru peered over the edge of her book. "Eh? I wouldn't have guessed that you were into romance novels."  
  
Kenshin grinned sheepishly. "I don't find them all that bad."  
  
Kaoru couldn't help smiling back.   
  
"Would you like some tea, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked with renewed confidence.   
  
"I'd like that."  
  
Mou! Who would have known that the prince wasn't that bad of a person? It still doesn't mean I'm going open up to him, Kaoru thought.   
  
Why not? The voice returned to argue with Kaoru's thoughts.  
  
Because even if he's a nice prince, he's still a prince! Kaoru thought haughtily.   
  
Ey, put your past grudges down, Kaoru! The voice pipped. He wasn't the one that…  
  
"I know he's not," Kaoru mumbled aloud.   
  
"Whose not what?" Kenshin asked.   
  
"Eh?" Kaoru said, looking up from her ponderings once again. "Nothing! Nothing!"   
  
Kenshin had already ordered tea from a wandering servant and immediately, two steaming cups of bitter tea was placed on a small coffee table between them.   
  
"I was wondering, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, taking up his cup. "What grudge were you holding against me?"  
  
"Grudge?" Kaoru asked. "Oh! Back there in the kitchen and such? It was nothing," Kaoru lied. Kenshin saw right through it, but urged her to continue. "I was just feeling slightly annoyed." Kaoru gave a weak excuse for a smile.   
  
"Annoyed about what?"   
  
"Me being here," Kaoru answered honestly, sipping her hot tea slowly as not to burn her tongue. It was at least half of the truth, ne?   
  
"What's so bad about being here?" Kenshin asked, setting his book down on the floor.  
  
Kaoru gave a shrug. "I guess," she began, staring at the cup of tea in her hands. "I guess it makes me feel trapped. And it…" Kaoru shrugged again. "I don't know how to put it."  
  
Kenshin nodded his head. "I get a feeling I know what you mean."  
  
"Do you kick any of the women out anytime?" Kaoru asked with suddenly livened eyes.   
  
"Oro? You want to get kicked out?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Of course!" Kaoru replied with defiance.   
  
"Eto…Shishou said we disqualify three women every two months," Kenshin said, thinking back to when his teacher was discussing the affair with him.   
  
"Honto?" Kaoru asked with even more brightened eyes. "Could you maybe just disqualify me in two months time? It is your decision to make, ne?"  
  
"Aa," Kenshin said, replying the latter question. "But I don't think I would be disqualifying you, Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Why not?" Kaoru huffed. She slipped a lollipop out from her pocket and she grabbed it, swaying it in front of Kenshin's amused eyes. "I'll give you a lollipop if you do! I know you want this lollipop. Yes you do!"  
  
"I'll see about it when the time comes, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said.   
  
Kaoru leaned back against the back of her couch and crossed her arms. "Hmm? If that's the way you want it, fine." She reverted her eyes from the prince back outside where Sanosuke continued to provoke the woman who called herself Megumi.   
  
"You're keeping her here for the whole year, aren't you, Ouji-sama?" Kaoru asked softly, watching the two people quarrel with each other.   
  
"What makes you say that?" Kenshin asked, staring out the window as well.  
  
Kaoru leaned her chin on her hand with a warm smile on her face. "I don't know. I just get the feeling that you would keep her here for Sanosuke's poor sake. You two seemed to be good friends, am I right?" Kaoru asked, turning her hazy gaze from the window to the ouji.   
  
"You are, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin replied and looked straight back at her.   
  
"Thought so," Kaoru said with a satisfied 'hmph'. "Ah! Ouji-sama! Wha…What are you doing?"  
  
Kenshin was kneeling in front of Kaoru and gently touching her leg.   
  
"OUJI NO HENTAI!!!" Kaoru yelled, punching the poor prince square in the jaw. "MOU!!" Kaoru shrieked and stomped out of the library with a trail of dark smoke trailing after her.   
  
Kenshin was rammed into a shelf of books, and they poured all over him like rain. "I'm not a hentai," Kenshin grumbled to no one in particular, popping his head out of the pile of books he was buried in. "I just wanted to see how her leg was…. maybe it was a bit forward for me to do such a thing."   
  
Kaoru on the other hand, was stomping down the hallway with such an enraged look upon her delicate face. "No more acting nice to the prince," Kaoru agreed to herself with a huff and approached a new set of doors at the end of another hallway she walked into. "What's in here?" Kaoru murmured to herself before peering inside. "Sugoi!"   
  
It was a great ballroom with a ceiling taking up two floors. The walls were decorated with mellow paintings and arcs of gold up on top.   
  
Kaoru took one step inside and the sound resounded against the walls in repeating echoes.   
  
"Ah! Kaoru-san!"   
  
Kaoru turned around to see Misao at the door; mop in hand. "You're cleaning this place, Misao-chan?" Kaoru asked.   
  
Misao nodded. "It's my last chore for the day," she informed. "And after this, I can go see my Aoshi-sama." Her eyes sparkled for a moment's time at the prospect of visiting her lover.  
  
"Aoshi…Aoshi," Kaoru mumbled, scratching her chin. "Ah! Isn't he that stiff, tall guard that says 'aa…' all the time?"  
  
Misao sweatdropped. "Eto…I suppose…"  
  
Kaoru nudged Misao in the rib with her elbow. "I had no idea you were after those kind of men, Misao-chan!"  
  
Misao blushed. "Kaoru-san! I have to work now. Please excuse me."  
  
Kaoru moved out of the way so Misao could drag in her mop and bucket of water. "Why do you have to clean this room, Misao-chan?" Kaoru asked. "I bet they barely use this place."  
  
"Ah…I don't think I should be the one to tell you, but they're planning to have a ball in a few weeks," Misao said, walking over to a corner to begin her cleaning.   
  
Kaoru didn't feel like she had the energy to complain about that event and offered her help to Misao.   
  
"I doubt you're here to clean the castle, Kaoru-san," Misao commented on Kaoru's offer.   
  
"Maa maa! If someone complains about me cleaning, I'll see right to it that you have nothing to do with the complaint," Kaoru assured. "And besides! We could get the work done twice as fast and you could see your dear Aoshi-sama quicker."  
  
Misao gnawed her lower lip. Leave it up to her new friend to bribe her into allowing herself to clean a humungous ballroom. "Take this," she said, thrusting her mop into Kaoru's hands. "I'll go get another one." And she took off to get another mop.   
  
Kaoru smiled in a satisfied way and began scrubbing the dusty floor sparkling clean. I can't spend my whole day ruining everything and sitting now can I? She asked herself.   
  
"Catch, Kaoru-san," Misao said and threw a ball of cloth towards Kaoru. She caught it and saw that it was an apron. She raised a questioning eyebrow at Misao. "For the mood," Misao said with a smirk and began mopping up the opposite corner, a hundred feet away from Kaoru's.  
  
Both women worked in silence, needing all their energy to clean the wide surface area. Both of them turned their heads as the click of the door echoed around them. It was none other than Kaoru's beloved Ou-sama.   
  
He noticed her quickly. "And now you're cleaning, Kamiya," he said.   
  
"You're quite observant, Ou-sama," Kaoru drawled, ignoring Misao's questioning stare as the two exchanged sarcastic remarks.   
  
"Make sure you don't trip and fall, woman," he said. "You don't want to break a leg on the first day, now would you?"  
  
Kaoru twitched. "Of course not," she replied. "I try to leave the best impression I can give."  
  
"It's not much you're giving." Before Kaoru could spit out another one of her mocking comments, Hiko continued. "Makimachi. After you clean up this room, I want a word with you in my office."  
  
"Hai, Ou-sama," Misao answered with a low bow.   
  
"I'll see you at dinner, Kamiya," he said before making his usual dramatic exit.   
  
"What does he want to talk to you about?" Kaoru asked, resuming her mopping as if nothing happened.   
  
"Usually about the events and such, but do you usually talk to the Ou-sama like that?" Misao asked.  
  
"I can't talk respectfully to him," Kaoru said with a smile. "It wouldn't be fun that way if I did."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
T.anjel: Was that a short chapter or was that a short chapter? Really sorry if it is, but my head is in a summer vacation haze right now. I promise you the next chapter will be much more longer and interesting… I guess a little teaser for it would be the title of the chapter: The Dojo…   
Till then..Ja! And leave reviews onegai! I'd love you if you do! 


	4. The Dojo

T.Anjel: Gomen minna-san! I truly didn't mean to get this chapter out so late, but as school started and such, I barely had any time to get anything done. Gomen gomen! But enjoy the chapter, ne? Oh yes! And many many thanks to everyone who reviewed! You guys certainly make my day! And special thanks to XenoMark, Kosume-Shizaki, and Kasumi Izukawa!  
  
Standard disclaimers apply.  
  
To Love the Hated - chapter 4.  
  
Kaoru stared blankly at the high, dark ceiling, feet above her. With the hundreds of things that went on that day, she would have thought that sleep would have overcome her in the blink of an eye. Obviously, she was proven wrong.  
  
Kaoru was the first in 'bed'. She took her blankets back to the floor and closed her eyes tightly, and found out an hour later that sleep refused to take over her senses. One by one, she heard the light snores of the other women in the room.  
  
"Mou! They barely did anything today, and somehow they get the most sleep!" Kaoru complained to herself, crossing her arms under her blanket.  
  
After hours of non-stop fidgeting and trying to force herself to sleep, Kaoru bolted upright in the dark. Her night was indefinitely frustrating.  
  
"Maybe a cup of water would do me some good", Kaoru thought, standing up and slipping on a pair of slippers. "Now where was the kitchen again?" She asked herself, gently shutting the large, oak door of the bedroom behind her.  
  
She changed from the light yukata she had worn to sleep in into a loose- fitting pair of gi and hakama she found tucked away in one of the closets. Tightening the gi around her, Kaoru continued her way around the labyrinth of a castle.  
  
Kaoru took a right, not quite sure whether it was the right direction to go to or not. There was only one way to find out. She strolled along the pitch black of the hallways, feeling her way through bye following her right hand against the walls. They were cold to the touch and every time she came upon a door, she would open it gently, identifying the dark silhouette of the furniture with her dark-adjusted eyes.  
  
"Mou! I'm lost again!" Kaoru grumbled to herself, feeling no surprise at the fact. Somehow, she had a tendency to forget how much of a maze the castle was.  
  
After another whole sixty seconds of wandering around, Kaoru scolded herself for not bringing along a candle. She opened up what seemed to have been the sixtieth door. She didn't see any furniture or windows.  
  
"Stairs?" Kaoru thought, staring down at the descending steps. "I knew the first floor was a bit up high," Kaoru thought with a huff, and with her curiosity overwhelming her, she slowly went down; step by step.  
  
After the twelfth step, Kaoru's slippered feet met sturdy ground. "A dojo?" Kaoru thought in amazement as a steady, blue light filtered through a window that went around half of the dojo. A wall was stacked with different sized bokkens, and the rest of the enormous room was nothing but a polished wood floor.  
  
Kaoru took off her slippers and walked over to the neat row of bokkens. She picked on up and swung it around in casual motions. After being satisfied of her pick, she automatically began practicing her swings.  
  
"Just because I'm in some over-spoiled palace doesn't mean I set my practice aside, does it?" Kaoru thought happily as she struck down hard on an invisible opponent.  
  
After the who-knows-how-manyth time Kaoru practiced her swings and attacks, she leaned on the bokken, retying her hair in the process.  
  
"What am I doing here?" Kaoru quietly asked herself, taking a seat on the floor and staring blankly at the opposite wall. She gave a silent chuckle, causing any viewers just to see her shoulders heave up and down in a quick motion. "I don't belong here," Kaoru said to no one in particular in the same, quiet tone.  
  
"Mou!" Kaoru suddenly said aloud, and lightly conked herself on the head with her fist. "Snap out of it, Kaoru! There's no use in feeling all depressed now, is there?" Before she could argue against the question, she stretched for a moment and continued her tiresome practice.  
  
Kaoru wiped the sweat dripping at the side of her face after doing four hundred fifty swings. "Ah! Whose there?" Kaoru asked in surprise as she felt another presence in the room. Kaoru's ki flared at the sight of the man who dared interrupt her practice. The small incident from the library quickly reinforced itself into Kaoru's mind and she mumbled, "Hentai."  
  
"I'm not a hentai!" Kenshin defended with what looked to Kaoru, pouted lips.  
  
"Then why were you touching my leg?" Kaoru challenged.  
  
"I just wanted to see if your burn was getting any better," Kenshin argued honestly.  
  
"Did you have to be so forward?" Kaoru growled.  
  
"Gomen, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin apologized. "I guess I wasn't thinking."  
  
"Of course you weren't," Kaoru agreed and suddenly an idea sparked. "I'm supposing you do kendo, Ouji-sama?" Kaoru changed the subject.  
  
"Aa," Kenshin responded. "But I'm not all that good, Kaoru-dono!"  
  
"I'll be the judge of that," Kaoru said, flinging a bokken over to Kenshin. "Let's fight!"  
  
"Demo.Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin barely managed to sputter before blocking a downward swing from Kaoru. "I don't want to fight with you, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, pushing her back.  
  
"Sure you do! Think of it as a sorry gift for me," Kaoru said and let out a battle cry as she attacked Kenshin in a various motions and swings. "Mou!" She complained as she jumped feet away from him again. "Won't you ever attack?"  
  
"I doubt it," Kenshin replied with his melting smile. "I have no intention of hurting you, Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Who said you would hurt me?" Kaoru mocked, sliding deeper into her stance.  
  
"I probably would!" Kenshin argued stubbornly, but was quickly cut off by Kaoru's sudden array of attacks. "She's quicker than before," Kenshin noted, quickly blocking off foreseen attacks right and left. "She's speeding up with every attack," Kenshin re-noted as it began to take him more and more effort to fend off her attacks.  
  
"Attack me," she growled as she mercilessly attacked Kenshin. With a frustrated grunt, Kaoru unexpectedly swiped her leg under Kenshin's, causing him to stumble. Kaoru took the tight opportunity to pound the end of her bokken into Kenshin's chest and pin him to the wall.  
  
Kenshin almost didn't see that coming and would have shielded against the latter of the attacks quite sloppily if he made any move to do it at all. "I guess you got me, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said good-heartedly and dropping his bokken to the ground and raising his hands midway into the air.  
  
Kaoru frowned. "Is he just toying with me?" She thought, keeping her bokken slammed against his chest. "Why weren't you attacking?" Kaoru asked, sounding more or less as if she were complaining.  
  
"I said I didn't want to hurt you, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, repeating his previous answer.  
  
"Did you not think I couldn't have blocked your attacks?" Kaoru inquired in an aggravated tone.  
  
"Iie!" Kenshin argued. "You probably could have, but I didn't want to take the chance."  
  
"Baka," Kaoru murmured before dropping her bokken and plopping onto the floor. Her exhaustion of the entire day seemed to have finally caught up with her. "Ouji-sama," Kaoru said, tilting her head so she could look at the man who seated himself on the floor near her.  
  
"Hai?"  
  
"What are you doing here in the middle of the night?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"I wasn't able to sleep," Kenshin replied. "And you?"  
  
"Same thing."  
  
And there was a warm silence in the room.  
  
"Is there really going to be a ball soon?" Kaoru asked staring sleepily into Kenshin's purple orbs.  
  
"Aa," he replied simply, beginning to feel slightly sleepy himself. Kaoru crawled on all fours to the wall, where she sat down again and leaned against it.  
  
"Who's going to be there?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Nobles and such," Kenshin replied vaguely, feeling his eyelids beginning to droop over his eyes.  
  
"Sou ka," Kaoru commented and yawned loudly, causing Kenshin to yawn as well. "I think I'm going to sleep just for a second before finding my way back," Kaoru drawled out, closing her eyes slowly. And she immediately fell into a deep sleep. Her head lolled to the side and nestled Kenshin's shoulder.  
  
Kenshin closed his own eyes and gently rested his head against her's. I'll sleep for just a minute. he assured himself. Just.one.minute..  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"HENTAI!!!"  
  
Kenshin awoke the following morning by a nice hard slap on the cheek. It stung immediately after the sudden impact. "ORoOOOROOOo!"  
  
Kenshin was sprawled on the dojo floor, and looked up to see a raging and most flustered Kaoru.  
  
"What happened, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked most too innocently. "Oro? It's morning," he noted. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, smiling even through the slap he received just moments ago.  
  
"Don't 'ohayo' me," Kaoru growled, steam emitting from her ears.  
  
"Oro?"  
  
"Mou!!" Kaoru yelled, stomping her foot and thundering up the stairs with the most noise possible.  
  
Kenshin was left in the dojo, feeling more confused and perplexed than ever. He had an urge to follow the woman and demand to know what happened. But he believed that that would just make her even more infuriated with him: something she had been for the short amount of time she was at the palace.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaoru on the other hand, was stomping down the now-lit hallways of the castle, mumbling incoherent things about a certain prince being a most perverse hentai. She had somehow managed to make it to her room after getting lost just once, and stormed with rage into one of the bathrooms, ignoring the other women's surprised stares as they had just begun to wake and Misao's beginning of a ramble of how worried she was about Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru stripped herself of her yukata and slipped into the steaming tub, allowing her muscles to relax in the hot water.  
  
"Who does he think he is?!" Kaoru growled inwardly to herself. She tensed up again at the reminder of what happened once she woke up that morning.  
  
The dojo was cold, as most mornings were, and Kaoru had woken up shivering. Only to find that she was wrapped securely around a certain man's arms, and she was leaning into his chest. Worst of all, one of his lifeless hands was gently resting on her thin hip. She had woken up fully at that exact moment; realizing the how loving the position was and whom she was with.  
  
Kaoru blew merciless bubbles into the tub, causing them to grow and pop in her face. "That hentai.," she frowned.  
  
Breakfast came by in a jiffy, and Kaoru found herself sitting in her usual seat in the same ripped dress she wore the other day. Of course, the mighty Hiko Seijuro had unsurprisingly left his snide comment on the worn- out dress.  
  
Only with Kaoru to haughtily reply that she wore what she was comfortable in.  
  
Hiko quickly argued back that she should make herself look viewable and the best that she can be.  
  
"Be thankful that I actually wash myself everyday," Kaoru snarled, gobbling up her foreign breakfast before her most 'beloved' Ou-sama had his first bite.  
  
Kaoru forcefully kept her gaze on her plate and in the opposite direction of the prince. She had no patience at the moment to deal with such a hentai.  
  
Kenshin on the other hand had been and still was totally confounded with what had happened earlier that morning. And understanding that she was only being stubborn, Kenshin made no unnecessary move in front of 'public' to get her undivided attention.  
  
Everyone finished their meal quietly as usual, still nervous around the buff king and the debonair prince.  
  
"I would like to announce that in two weeks, there will be a ball."  
  
That sent a hushed wave of giggles and gasps across the long table.  
  
"There will be nobles and men of high class attending," Hiko continued in a grave voice, making him sound of high authority. "I expect all of you to dress accordingly," he added, running his eyes on Kaoru's shaggy dress. "And I want all of you on your best behavior," he scanned Kaoru once again. Kaoru scoffed at the observation.  
  
"You are dismissed," Kaoru echoed along with Hiko as he made his usual dramatic exit.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: ^^; I think this chapter could have been much longer, don't you? I am hoping to have a longer chapter for the ball scene, but here's to wishful thinking. Review onegai! 


	5. The Ballroom

T.Anjel: Finally done with chapter 5. Thank you all reviewers out there. You know who you are!~ Also thanks to XenoMark and Kosume for pre- reading.and that's all.  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 5 - The Ballroom  
  
Kaoru rubbed her temple in a continuous motion. Two weeks had sped faster than she thought was possible. The Ouji seemed one hundred percent blank on why Kaoru had exploded on him weeks ago in the dojo, so she allowed the one grudge of many to pass.  
  
Their weekly meetings were quite serene, as they seemed to have both taken place in the library again. They had some small talk and enjoyed each other's company as they read unimaginably thick books they plucked from one of the shelves.  
  
And suddenly, as if a curse was bestowed on her, Kaoru found herself shoved into a closet full of new, western dresses.  
  
"I refuse for you to wear that rackety-tackety blue dress today!" Misao said stubbornly, crossing her arms and smiling wickedly.  
  
Kaoru was suddenly feeling claustrophobic. The frills! The laces! The silk! They were all closing in on her.  
  
"Maa maa, Kaoru-san!" Misao said cheerfully, swinging an arm around Kaoru's slouched shoulders. She waved around the feather duster she held in her other hand in large circles, indicating to Kaoru how the thousands of dresses were arranged in the different racks.  
  
"It's just a stupid ball, Misao-chan," Kaoru complained, feeling dizzy from all the colors.  
  
Misao slammed her fists into her hips. "You're also going as a representative of Ou-sama and the kingdom, Kaoru-san. And besides, it's only for one night!"  
  
Misao features were scrunched up in a death glare, making Kaoru shrivel up inside. "Can't I at least wear a kimono?"  
  
Misao seemed even more infuriated at the idea. "You wouldn't be able to dance in that thing!" She argued.  
  
"Dance?!" Kaoru exploded and raised her hands in front of herself on the account of her defense. "No no no no no," she stuttered out. "I am not going to dance."  
  
"That's the whole point of the ball, Kaoru-san! And I know you can dance!" Misao argued. "C'mon, it's getting late and I have to usher during the beginning of the ball." Kaoru clapped her hands together in a sarcastic motion. "Wonderful! You could go get ready to usher those big, important people and I'll pick out a dress myself."  
  
Before Misao could have argued more with Kaoru, but there was a small wave of a hush heard outside of the large closet. Misao peered into the large bedroom to see no one other than the burly man who was called king.  
  
"Ou-sama!" Misao exclaimed.  
  
Before she could ask what he was doing there, he replied, "I was making sure that Kamiya was picking out an appropriate dress for the occasion."  
  
Kaoru fumed from behind Misao's back.  
  
"Did she pick one out?" Hiko asked Misao.  
  
Misao shook her head in reply, and the beloved Seijuro Hiko made his large shoulders through the small doorway. Ignoring Kaoru's glares and the other women's stares, he scanned the racks quickly. With one swift motion, Hiko swiped a bright orange dress from its hook. It was complete with endless layers of frills and a very low neckline.  
  
Kaoru unconsciously made a childish face as if she was forced to eat a plateful of liver. "I'm not wearing that!" she said in a rebellious manner.  
  
Hiko put it back without a word and immediately picked out another dress. "Put this on," he ordered, flinging the green dress at her.  
  
Kaoru caught with a frown and examined it as Hiko exited the room.  
  
Much to Kaoru's dislike, the dress was actually beautiful and very much in taste. In the privacy of the empty closet, which Misao had left a second after Hiko, Kaoru slipped into the dress and found that it fit her perfectly. She examined her full figure using a large mirror pinned to one end of the wall.  
  
The dress was a dark, sea green with a thick light green sash tied around the waist. It was an off-shoulder dress, but also had two thick pieces of fabric identical to the sash around the waist covering a decent amount of her shoulder atop. The dress itself wasn't as frilly with thousands of layers underneath like the other dresses the other women wore.  
  
Kaoru smirked. "You've got taste, Ou-sama. You've got taste."  
  
She looked around the enormous closet to find a small row of ribbons at the opposite end of the wall. Kaoru picked out a matching green one, and tied it around her ponytail as a finishing touch. She smiled to herself with satisfaction. Her curves were enunciated by the dress and she knew she would attract of the eyes many men that night.  
  
Once Kaoru stepped out of the closet, Misao pounded her down.  
  
"Misao-chan! I thought you left!" Kaoru yelled in surprise, and found herself being dragged over to her bed.  
  
Misao shook her head in reply and examined Kaoru's figure. She nodded in satisfaction. "You're just gorgeous, Kaoru-san," Misao exclaimed and sat Kaoru down onto the plush bed. In swift movements, Misao managed to apply rouge to Kaoru's lips and some color onto her eyelids before the woman could reject the application.  
  
Misao took a step back to examine her work and clapped her hands together with approval. "You'll be the belle of the ball," she said.  
  
Kaoru smiled in thanks. "If I have to act all pretty tonight, I might as well do it all the way, ne?" Kaoru thought to herself.  
  
"Now don't do anything to that dress, Kaoru-san. Like, oh say, ripping it!" Misao instructed as if speaking to a child. "I have to get going. Have fun tonight, Kaoru-san."  
  
Kaoru nodded and shooed Misao off to do her usher duty. The other occupants of the room made their way out one by one, feeling giddy and childish as they made their way to the enormous ballroom Kaoru remembered cleaning days back.  
  
Kaoru flopped on her bed, automatically sinking deep into it, wanting to make a fashionably late entrance. She'll show that egotistical king what a beauty she could be if she tried. Let's see him make any more cracks about her looks after tonight. Kaoru smirked to herself, feeling confident and ready to dominate the night.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kenshin was never the most excited one when it came to balls or any form of dance. He usually stood at the sides, watching old women dance with their unfathomably rich husbands and small chat with those who weren't able to dance, such as he.  
  
At the moment, Kenshin stood by the arching, gold doorway, greeting the guests as they entered one by one. He plastered on a goofy smile and adjusted the crisp western suit he was forced to wear. Nobles and men of high class made their usual late appearances and Kenshin shook their hands with his gloved ones as Hiko did the same next to him.  
  
Most of the men were the same. They seemed to be in their mid- thirties or above with quickly graying hair and a figure that was either extremely stout and pot-bellied or very tall and bony. Some came with one of their wives and some did not, knowing perfectly well that there would be a whole line of them to dance with them that night. Specifically speaking, young and beautiful women.  
  
Kenshin warily eyed a familiar noble who looked nothing of the rest. He was tall and lean with distinct, white hair which stood up at all ends possible. He wore small, tinted spectacles, which rested at the tip of his nose, and instead of making him look like a wise fool; it made him look menacing and threatening. Yukishiro Enishi; an extremely rich noble in Shanghai who took over companies one by one with timed contracts and, of course, some black mail here and there.  
  
Hiko had ordered a foreign orchestra to play at the ball. They consisted of old men, but played fantastically well. Refreshments were lined at one end of the table consisting of every kind of cocktail, caviar, snack and champagne.  
  
In barely a second's wait, the women entered the ballroom in a clustered line. Kenshin wouldn't deny all of their beauty and elegance they displayed as they entered, but he was looking for one woman in particular whom he knew would surprise him that night.  
  
As he had thought, she was going to be late, if she planned to come at all.  
  
Immediately, the women were being asked to dance by different nobles, and Kenshin watched from the corner of his eye that Yukishiro had asked a particularly beautiful woman to accompany him to a dance. She was none other than Takani Megumi, and if Sano wasn't outside on duty, he would have flared up with jealousy for sure.  
  
The air of the ball was of a melancholy tone with nothing too interesting going on and about. Kenshin stood stiff as a board by the table and where he could get a good view of the doorway. He overheard nearby conversations consisting of politics and the latest revolution that was occurring far away.  
  
Kenshin thought he would die of boredom until the room seemed to freeze. By the doorway, he saw the most beautiful woman he ever laid eyes on. Kenshin had always thought Kaoru was beautiful even with her scraggy blue dress, but seeing her face-to-face in the most dazzling one, he felt he was going to faint.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaoru couldn't help grinning inwardly. She didn't expect this much attention from just her mere appearance, but she suddenly felt glamorous and special. She noticed Kenshin's frozen stare and couldn't help but think how cute he looked with his mouth slightly hanging from its normal position. He probably didn't even know it too.  
  
Kaoru scanned the room to see most eyes glued on her. With the walk of a goddess, Kaoru glided over to the opposite corner where she recognized the burly back of a certain king she loved to argue with as her newest pastime. He was engrossed in a conversation with some important looking man, drinking away at his sake. He had obviously not noticed Kaoru's stunning appearance.  
  
Kaoru strode behind the man she called 'king' and gave an exaggerated cough, trying hard to make it sound womanly.  
  
Hiko looked slightly annoyed at the intruder and turned around to see the woman none other than Kamiya. He managed to raise a perfectly shaped eyebrow in surprise. "What a surprise, Kamiya," Hiko said. "You're looking decent."  
  
"Is that all?" Kaoru asked with a small pout, and fishing for a compliment or two.  
  
"What do you want, Kamiya?" Hiko asked, not sounding as annoyed as he usually did with her.  
  
"It's a ball, Ou-sama," Kaoru stated. "I was wondering if you would like to honor yourself by giving me my first dance tonight," Kaoru said, her words dripping with feigned sarcasm. And honest to God, she was wondering if the big guy could actually dance. With his large figure, she highly doubted it, but curiosity was bugging the hell out of her.  
  
"I think I will," he drawled, using the same hidden sarcasm as Kaoru had used on him a second ago. "Please excuse me," he said politely to the duke who was staring greedily at Kaoru's flawless figure.  
  
The orchestra was playing a soothing song, which played at an easy tempo to dance to. Hiko had his enormous mantle off for the ball, making his shoulders a bit smaller than what they usually seemed; but they were still as broad as anything. Kaoru rested her hand on his shoulder, feeling that they were just a tad high, but something that wasn't of a nuisance to her. And her other hand was lightly gripped by Hiko's large ones. His other rested gently on her tiny waist.  
  
Kaoru's guess was proven wrong as Hiko guided her gracefully across the dance floor. They swayed back and forth, and Kaoru couldn't help enjoying herself as she went for another round with the king. They chatted about small things, making sure to be mocking once in awhile, but other than that, they got along fine.  
  
Being the belle of the ball, Kaoru was quickly whipped away from Hiko's arms into another man's. Then to another and then another until Kaoru could have sworn she danced with every guest attending the ball. Her feet felt slightly sore in the unusually high shoes and wobbled her way over to the refreshments table where she lightly sipped a small glass of champagne.  
  
"You know, you've been standing there during the whole ball," Kaoru said to a figure in the corner. Her eyes twinkled as she watched the prince fidget in his rigid spot. "There are so many beautiful women you could dance with," Kaoru said.  
  
Kenshin made no response to her comment.  
  
Kaoru grinned. "You can't dance, can you?" Kaoru asked with nourished excitement.  
  
Kenshin flushed at the oh-so-true statement.  
  
Kaoru couldn't help smile even more. "It's nothing to be ashamed of," Kaoru said as if soothing a child to sleep.  
  
"I'm not ashamed," Kenshin said quickly in his defense.  
  
"Yeah, okay," Kaoru said, rolling her eyes and set down her glass of champagne. She grabbed Kenshin's hand and dragged him over to the center of the dance floor. She suddenly felt bad for the orchestra who've been playing nonstop for what may have already been hours.  
  
Kenshin was feeling nervous. He had no skill at dancing, and to try to teach him how to would be a futile attempt.  
  
"Calm down," Kaoru said. "Now, just relax."  
  
Kenshin did as he was told as best he could.  
  
Kaoru took his left hand and gently placed in on her waist. She placed her right hand on his shoulder, and held his other hand in her own.  
  
Kenshin knew his heart was thumping twice as fast as it would normally beat. He swallowed hard and easily did as Kaoru told him to. He didn't know whether to be thankful that the music was extremely slow. It was simple to dance and lead to, but Kaoru seemed so close that even the light scent of her hair was intoxicating to his nose.  
  
The orchestra was playing a song with the ability to lull a child to sleep. Kaoru gently rested her chin on Kenshin's shoulder and swung back and forth to the soothing melody. She felt Kenshin gradually relax and allow himself to be taken away by the music as well.  
  
Kaoru snapped from a dreamy haze to reality when she felt fingers gently prod her back for attention. She turned around and loosened from Kenshin's grip, expecting to see another egotistical noble. Instead, she met up with a tall, lean man with shocking white hair. He stared down at her with keen interest and offered his gloved hand to her. His motions were smooth and flawless. "May I have this dance?" he asked. He eyed Kenshin warily, as if secretly telling him that he would dance with Kaoru whether he wanted to or not.  
  
Kaoru gave Kenshin a heart-warming smile. "It was great dancing with you, Kenshin. You're a fast learner, and you didn't step on my feet once."  
  
Kenshin stood there, stunned, Kaoru had been swept away by another man in the blink of an eye, and their song wasn't even done yet. With a befallen heart, Kenshin took his usual, stoned position by the refreshment table and engaged himself in a small conversation with a couple of ladies who were taking a break from the dance floor.  
  
Kaoru quickly learned that the man she danced with was a man from Shanghai. His name was Yukishiro Enishi and he was obviously extremely rich. His movements were calm and smooth, yet Kaoru couldn't help getting the feeling that he also daring the other rich guests to try to interfere with their dance.  
  
Kaoru didn't feel much like saying anything to Yukishiro Enishi, but he didn't seem to mind. "Would you like a little fresh air?" Enishi asked. "It's getting hot in here."  
  
Not waiting for Kaoru's answer, he pulled her along to an exquisite, gold balcony outside of the ballroom. Kaoru was about to argue, it wasn't hot in there at all, if anything, it was quite cool. With an annoyed sigh, Kaoru plopped herself onto a cold stone bench, staring off into the never- ending stretch of Earth.  
  
After a minute of silence, Kaoru spoke up, "If you're not going to do anything, I'm going back in." Kaoru stood up to prove her point, but was pulled back into the bench next to Enishi.  
  
"I just wanted a little time with you," he said, staring into Kaoru's eyes without blinking once. "Everyone seems to want to get their hands on you."  
  
"Including you," Kaoru commented dryly.  
  
"Can you blame me?" he asked, obviously trying to sound as suave as ever.  
  
"No. I can't," Kaoru replied. "It's a pity such a brilliant and rich man such as yourself gets overtaken so easily by the mere power of your hormones."  
  
The comment made him blink, but he quickly regained his composure. "No one ever said it was lust that made me attracted to you."  
  
"You're no different from them," Kaoru said, looking over to the ballroom from the corner of her eye.  
  
"That's where you're wrong," Enishi said, nearing Kaoru's face. "Are you saying I was right about the hormone thing?" Kaoru asked innocently.  
  
Enishi backed away, suddenly feeling as if he was babysitting a child. But she was a beautiful child at that.  
  
"Oh look!" Kaoru said, pouting. "The ball is just about over. Everyone's leaving!" Kaoru stood up and hustled over to the ballroom to greet the guests out. "It was nice talking to you," Kaoru shouted over her shoulder before being pummeled by guests and their sudden eagerness to hand her information about themselves quickly before they left; either being dragged by their wives or just being pushed out of the way by others.  
  
Kaoru couldn't help smiling at every one of them. She bowed low to the entire bunch and paid all the respects she needed to pay.  
  
Enishi, on the other hand, seemed persistent on catching Kaoru's attention and affection. He gave all the blushing women a suave kiss on their hands and purposely did it under Kaoru's nose. He offered to kiss Kaoru's hand when she snatched it away.  
  
"I'd like to keep my hands clean, thank you," she said curtly. It was men such as he who an ego the size of Japan that grinded at her nerves.  
  
"This will probably be the last time I get to see you," Enishi said, suave as hell, ignoring Kaoru's latter comment.  
  
"That is a total relief," Kaoru said with an exaggerated motion of wiping sweat from her brow.  
  
"Why don't you come to Shanghai with me?" Enishi offered, keeping his face impassive and ignoring Kaoru's sarcastic comments.  
  
"I belong here," Kaoru replied, her voice as stern as ever. "In Japan."  
  
Enishi was beginning to look pissed. "I'll offer this to you."  
  
"Look," Kaoru said, interrupting Enishi's upcoming speech. "I have no attraction to you at all, Yukishiro-san!" Kaoru paused. "If you have any means of trying to wed me or anything of the sort, it won't happen! You'll need more of a personality to go with your good looks if you want to get even close!" Kaoru yelled. "But it was nice to meet you anyway," Kaoru's sneer melted into a smile.  
  
Enishi didn't say anything for a few seconds before he turned his heel away from Kaoru, the ballroom and from a kingdom in Japan.  
  
Kaoru gave a sigh and looked around the emptied ballroom. The high position of the moon told her it was late, and it seemed that everyone left for bed already. Kaoru was right about to go through the door when a familiar shadow in a familiar corner caught her eye.  
  
"Ouji-sama?" Kaoru questioned, slowly nearing the man.  
  
Kenshin came from his spot in the shadows, feeling as if he was a child caught stealing cookies in the middle of the night.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kaoru asked.  
  
Kenshin shrugged. "Just standing."  
  
Kaoru nodded, enduring a personal migraine of Kenshin's obvious ignorance and gloominess. "Did you dance after dancing with me?" Kaoru asked, trying hard to cheer up the prince.  
  
"Hai," Kenshin replied, pasting on a smile Kaoru was able to see through too easily. "Thank you for teaching me how to dance, Kaoru-dono."  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "I didn't," she said. "You knew how to all along."  
  
'Mou!,' Kaoru thought irritably. 'The Ouji's acting so down. I could just kill him.' "Oro?" Kenshin felt Kaoru tug at his hand, roughly dragging him over to the center of the ballroom.  
  
"We never finished our dance, Ouji-sama," Kaoru said, and held Kenshin's hand with one of hers and rested the other one on his shoulder. Kenshin quickly followed suit, and found his other shoulder supporting the light weight of Kaoru's head. Her harsh movements quickly dissolved into a liquid-like motions.  
  
The two swayed back and forth; dancing to music only they could hear.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: My mind's completely blank and I honestly have nothing to blubber on about at the moment. So please review.~ Thanks for reading! 


	6. The Princess

T.Anjel: Sorry for taking so long. School's been hell, and I've been just plain lazy. What can I say? Hehe. eto. Thanks to Kasumi-san for pre- reading~ and of course thanks to those who reviewed.  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
To Love the Hated - chapter 6  
  
The day after the ball, everything immediately went back to normal as if it hadn't taken place, except that there was just a tad more gossip upon the women's tongues than usual.  
  
Kaoru dressed herself in her usual tattered dress and entered the breakfast hall.  
  
"It's the inner beauty that counts, Ou-sama," Kaoru said, taking her seat.  
  
Hiko closed his mouth, as a he was just about to comment on Kaoru's dress. And then the most spontaneous event happened.  
  
A shrill voice thundered through the palace. Kaoru could have sworn the whole place shook like mad. It yelled, "KEEEENNNNSSHHHHIIIIIIINNN!!!"  
  
'Kenshin?' Kaoru thought. 'Who's Kenshin?' But before Kaoru could think any further into her thoughts, one of the doors connected to the breakfast hall burst opened. It revealed a flustered looking woman; otherwise, she was gorgeous. Her hair was in gold, curved locks, and she wore a pink, fluffy, western dress. She irritably flicked a strand of hair from her blue eyes and scanned the hall quickly.  
  
"Ah! Hiko-sama!" She exclaimed, noticing the burly man seated at the end of the table. With her mouth closed, she was as beautiful and flawless as any fairy tale princess, but once she spoke in her high-pitched, piercing voice, she was as strange as the person on your left or right.  
  
"Mei-san," Hiko replied in greeting, not knowing what to do about the sudden guest.  
  
"Where's Kenshin?" she whined, strutting over to Hiko's end of the table.  
  
"How did you get here?" Hiko asked, but immediately shook his head. "Never mind. We will discuss this later."  
  
"Where's Kenshin?" she repeated as if she hadn't heard the man.  
  
"He should be here shortly," Hiko replied.  
  
And speaking of the devil. "Mei-dono!" Kenshin said in surprise, entering the breakfast hall.  
  
"Kenshin!" Mei squeaked, running straight into Kenshin and smoldering him in a giant hug. "I missed you so much!"  
  
"Ano.Mei-dono," Kenshin began, stumbling under the sudden weight.  
  
"You didn't come back for me!" Mei pouted, wrapping her arms around Kenshin's neck and staring straight into his eyes.  
  
"Eto.Did you eat yet, Mei-dono?" Kenshin asked, dragging himself over to the long table. Mei reluctantly let go and sat to the seat next to him, diagonal from Kaoru's seat. "Ohayo gozaimasu, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin greeted with a smile.  
  
"Ohayo, Ouji-sama," Kaoru replied with her mouth full of eggs and miso.  
  
Mei contorted her face into one of disgust. "You should pay more respect to those of higher class than you, beggar," she said in a demanding tone.  
  
Kaoru swallowed her chewed food bits and pointed her chopsticks at Mei. "I'm no beggar, woman," Kaoru began. "I hope we got that straight."  
  
Mei opened and closed her mouth at the obvious display of disrespect she had ever been shown. "You.you!"  
  
"And secondly, I doubt I'll be paying any unnecessary respect around here, lest it be mandatory, or if I have any respect for the person at all," Kaoru quickly finished off as if challenging Mei to argue.  
  
"I think it is obligatory for you to pay your respects to me; princess of the Serians," Mei said haughtily. (I don't think Serians exist.picked it from the top of my head.)  
  
"A princess, are you?" Kaoru asked, showing off an arrogant smirk. "What are you here in Japan for then, dear princess? To wed the beloved Ouji-sama?" Kaoru motioned over to the silently dining women seated at their seats at the table. "They're fighting for his hand too. Join the club!"  
  
"Kenshin!" Mei scowled, turning over to him. "What are all these women doing here? What is this nonsense of a woman?" She asked, pointing her dainty finger at Kaoru.  
  
"Aren't you quick to notice," Kaoru murmured under her breath while finishing up her bowl of rice at the same time.  
  
"Eto." Kenshin mumbled, struggling to explain the situation.  
  
"We're trying out to be queen," Kaoru interrupted loudly. "Have you not heard?" Kaoru said mockingly with a scowl. She scraped her chair back loudly and turned her attention to Hiko. "I hope you don't mind me leaving first, Ou-sama. I've had enough excitement for one day," she said sarcastically.  
  
As usual, without waiting for any reply, Kaoru calmly strode out of the breakfast hall, mentally wanting to scream at the previous display of arrogance. It was arrogance unlike Hiko's, but a more self-centered, no- respect-for-anything-except-for-oneself type of arrogance. The Ou-sama just had a very self-centered arrogance, which Kaoru was obviously able to stand.  
  
"Mou! I could just punch her!" Kaoru thought, fuming at the simple thought of her. Little did Kaoru know that she was more or less furious at the image of Mei clinging dearly onto the Ouji-sama.  
  
Kaoru slammed one door after another, indirectly searching for the dojo, but also taking out her stress by either punching or kicking the doors opened.  
  
She heaved open a thick, wooden door and was greeted by fresh air and an endless field of grass. Kaoru sniffed the air and noticed the smell of horses mixing with the clear air. 'I think a little ride would do me some good,' Kaoru thought, her hopes beginning to rise, and her trail of thoughts wandering away from Mei.  
  
The stables were large and very easy to find. There were rows and rows of horses of all kinds, and Kaoru gently petted the nose of a dark brown stallion.  
  
"What are you doing here, busu?"  
  
That voice so familiar, Kaoru didn't even want to remember whom it belonged to. She turned around to see the little kid she met a few weeks ago at the kitchen. "Is there a law against me being here, you little gaki?"  
  
The boy fumed. "Women don't ride," he said snidely.  
  
"Would you like to bet on that?" Kaoru asked, raising an eyebrow in question.  
  
"Are you saying you could ride?" Yahiko asked and snorted.  
  
"I never said I couldn't," Kaoru replied. "Saddle up any horse, and watch me ride it like the wind."  
  
"I'll pick an easy horse since you're such a busu," he said, unlocking the stable to a calm looking horse.  
  
"I prefer riding this one," Kaoru said, petting a black horse next to the brown stallion she was petting a minute ago.  
  
Yahiko shook his head slowly in disbelief. "No one can ride that thing," he said.  
  
Kaoru looked up at the large horse. It definitely had a fierce air to it, one of superiority and defiance. It had a scar go through its left eye, and his mane was tangled in a rebellious sort of way. "What's its name?"  
  
"Everyone calls him Devil, but his original name was Black Thunder," Yahiko informed, still shaking his head at Kaoru's decision.  
  
"Black Thunder," Kaoru repeated, gently stroking his nose. "You're a beauty." She turned over to Yahiko. "Well, saddle him up, Yahiko-chan."  
  
"Don't call me -chan, busu," he growled, and slowly unlocked the horse's stable and immediately jumped ten feet away from it. "He's already saddled up. That last time someone tried riding him, he almost died. And when we all tried to unsaddle Devil, everyone almost got killed."  
  
"He can't be that bad," Kaoru said, staring up into Black Thunder's fierce gaze. It pawed the ground, challenging Kaoru.  
  
"If you get hurt, you can't say I didn't warn you," Yahiko said, feet afar from Black Thunder's stable, and silently praying that the crazy woman wouldn't do such a stupid thing as to riding that horse.  
  
Kaoru stared straight back into the horse's large, beady eyes, challenging it right back. She didn't blink, and her eyes began to water.  
  
A minute seemed to have lasted for an hour. The other horses seemed to have sensed the tension between horse and rider, staying silent as they watched. Black Thunder finally pawed restlessly at the ground and looked away, shaking its large head.  
  
Kaoru petted it, knowing all too well that the horse would allow her to ride him. "You're a good boy, Black Thunder," she whispered to the horse and adjusted the saddle to fit more comfortably on the horse. "He's not that bad, Yahiko-chan," Kaoru said, with a satisfied nod. "You just don't seem to have the touch for horses."  
  
Yahiko fumed as Kaoru gracefully mounted the large horse, and kicked his sides, beckoning it to trot. He would never tell her, but she was an amazing rider.  
  
Kaoru breathed in deeply as Black thunder galloped smoothly across the endless field of grass. She could have ridden him forever, but slowed him down after awhile to rest.  
  
Kaoru got off the horse and noticed the stables were a mere dot on the horizon. "I think we should get back, Black Thunder," Kaoru told the horse, petting its smooth neck. The sun was still high up in the sky, and Kaoru was getting a little hungry. Lunch could have passed by already.  
  
After re-mounting on the horse, Kaoru took her time in getting back to the stables. Black Thunder seemed to be enjoying the ride as much as she was. Kaoru was meters away from the stables when she noticed another figure was next to Yahiko's short one. They seemed to be arguing.  
  
It was Mei. What luck Kaoru had.  
  
"I'm back, Yahiko," Kaoru said, to inform both people of her presence.  
  
"Oh! Good!" Yahiko said as if he was truly relieved. "I thought you died out there somewhere."  
  
Kaoru gently bonked the boy on the head. "Good to see you have such faith in me."  
  
Yahiko smirked. "I don't see how you can expect me to."  
  
"Ehem!"  
  
Both Kaoru and Yahiko turned over to Mei who was dressed in tight pants and a professional looking helmet for riding. She obviously didn't like to be ignored.  
  
"I congratulate you for being able to ride little Devil over here," Mei said, nodding over to Black Thunder. "How long did it take you for him to trust you? An hour at the least, I suppose?"  
  
Kaoru smirked. "It took exactly a minute."  
  
"Well, I applaud you," Mei commented, looking as smug as ever with her perfect porcelain features. "Especially to be able to ride that stupid beast."  
  
"I don't think you should make fun of him. He's probably more intelligent than you," Kaoru said smoothly. "And I doubt he ever trusted you."  
  
Yahiko muffled a laugh from behind Kaoru.  
  
"Shut up, boya," Mei growled, pointing at Yahiko.  
  
"The last time she tried riding Devil, she ended up running all around the fields, screaming that she broke a nail. And Devil chased her around, probably trying to kill her," Yahiko whispered into Kaoru's ear. "It may not sound funny when I say it, but it sure as hell was hilarious."  
  
Kaoru smiled. "It looks as if you weren't able to go near this beauty," Kaoru said, stroking Black Thunder's nose.  
  
Mei frowned. "I doubt anyone would want to."  
  
"Why wouldn't they?" Kaoru challenged. "He's the best horse I've ever ridden on."  
  
"And how many would that be altogether?" Mei asked. "Two?"  
  
"So many, you wouldn't be able to count," Kaoru replied.  
  
Mei scoffed. "If you're so good, I challenge you to a race. And I know you'll take it on, unless you had no pride."  
  
"I was never planning on not accepting your challenge."  
  
"Good," Mei said. "You could go ride that Devil over there and I'll ride Misty."  
  
Mei walked over to a sleek, brown horse with a glistening mane.  
  
"Misty's the number one racing horse there is," Yahiko informed Kaoru as Mei saddled up the horse.  
  
"You don't think I can do it?" Kaoru asked Yahiko with a raised eyebrow.  
  
"Of course you can do it, busu," Yahiko said. "But I'm saying to go easy on her."  
  
"Baka," Kaoru said, giving a good thump on the boy's head.  
  
"Itai!" he complained, and walked over a little way from the stables. Kaoru mounted Black Thunder, whispering words of encouragement into his tired ears, and trotted up to where Yahiko stood. Mei walked over with Misty and mounted her.  
  
"Get ready to lose," Mei said, leaning forward on Misty.  
  
"I really don't plan to."  
  
"It's to the great tree and back," Mei informed dully, referring to a giant tree in the middle of the lonely field.  
  
"Get ready," Yahiko yelled. "Ichi! Ni! San! Go!"  
  
Black Thunder and Misty ran off with amazing speed. Kaoru quickly leaned forward on Black Thunder to speed him up. They were ahead by a few meters, but barely. Misty could catch up any second, and Kaoru had to keep up the pace.  
  
Wind whipped dangerously at her face, stinging it into a cold, shivering sensation. Both horses' hooves pounded on the hard dirt in a quick, rhythmic beat. In a matter of seconds, Kaoru was way ahead and the Great Tree was just feet away. The win was already in the bag.  
  
As the tree came closer; so did Mei and Misty. Kaoru slowed her speed down slightly to get a good turn around the giant tree, and then everything happened at once:  
  
Mei cut in front of Kaoru unexpectedly, causing Black Thunder to jump onto its hind legs dangerously. Kaoru hung onto the secure saddle for dear life as she saw Misty jump up in surprise and knock Mei off onto the floor. "Itai!" Kaoru yelped as a sharp branch cut into her arm. Everything was happening in such slow motion, Kaoru wasn't able to tell if everything was a dream or not.  
  
Mei's head hit the tree, and she fell unconscious on the ground. Misty neighed and stomped unsteadily on the ground, her hooves dangerously close to Mei's limp body.  
  
Black Thunder regained its composure, much thanks to Kaoru and she knew she had to get the frantic Misty away from Mei before Mei became a bloody mound of bone and skin. "Calm down, Misty. Calm down," Kaoru pleaded, as she tried to near the horse as she rode around with Black Thunder.  
  
But Misty refused to stop yelling and stomping like a mad horse. She had definitely been scared out of her wits, and her reaction wasn't doing Kaoru any good. If she got any closer to the horse, she and Black Thunder would probably be sprawling on the ground with Mei.  
  
With firm determination, Kaoru got off of Black Thunder and slowly neared Misty.  
  
"It's alright, Misty. Everything's okay," Kaoru said softly, trying to sooth the horse down. She kneeled next to Mei quickly, checking to see if she had any major injuries. Thankful that she didn't, Kaoru turned back to the horse.  
  
Misty had stopped pacing, but refused for Kaoru to get near it. "It's alright, Misty. C'mon girl," Kaoru said, reaching out to pet Misty. The horse eyed Kaoru nervously.  
  
With a smile, Kaoru lightly petted Misty's nose. "See? Everything's okay now," she assured. "You're going to have to help me Misty." Kaoru gave a final pat on the horse's nose and led it to Mei's fallen spot. With a forceful heave, Kaoru managed to get the princess draped over Misty. Getting Misty calm was easier than expected.  
  
With an exhausted sigh, Kaoru grabbed the reins of Black Thunder and Misty and walked them all the way back to the stables where Yahiko was looking frantic.  
  
"What happened?" He exclaimed, staring at the woman unconscious over Misty.  
  
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "She tried to cut in front of me, and caused a whole raucous."  
  
"Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru turned around to see the Ouji-sama running from the palace doors.  
  
"What happened?" he asked, helping Kaoru bring Mei down from the horse.  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "It's nothing. She just fell of her horse." Kaoru began taking off Black Thunder's saddle.  
  
"You rode Black Thunder?" Kenshin asked incredulously. Even he was never able to ride that horse.  
  
"He's a real sweetie," Kaoru said, heaving the heavy saddle off of the horse's back. "Look, Ouji-sama, can you get that damned woman to Genzai-sensei? She's actually getting me a little worried."  
  
"How about you?" Kenshin asked. "Did you get hurt?"  
  
"I'll go there after I finish up with the horses," Kaoru reassured.  
  
Kenshin looked skeptical but left anyway with Mei in his arms. Honestly, Kaoru just didn't like seeing Kenshin holding her so intimately, but what right did she have to fuss? She, herself, would have just dragged her across the whole palace till she found Dr.Genzai's office.  
  
Yahiko undid Misty's saddle and led her to her stable. "You have a cut on your arm, busu."  
  
"Do I?" Kaoru asked, ignoring the 'busu' comment, and remembered the cut she received throughout the whole commotion. "It's nothing," Kaoru lied, suddenly feeling the sting of the wound surge up her whole arm. "I'll just wash it off, and it'll be alright."  
  
"But you promised Kenshin that you'd go to see Genzai-sensai," Yahiko pointed out.  
  
"You call Ouji-sama, Kenshin?" Kaoru inquired, jumping away from the topic of her wounded arm.  
  
Yahiko shrugged. "He doesn't really care, and he insisted on it."  
  
"Sou ka," Kaoru mumbled, giving Black Thunder a final pat on the nose. "It was nice meeting you, Yahiko-chan," Kaoru said. "And I'm pretty sure I'll come by here again."  
  
"I really hope you don't, being that your ugly face scares the horses!" Yahiko yelled.  
  
"I think it's just your face, Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru argued right back, as she headed in the castle.  
  
"Busu!"  
  
"Yahiko-chan!"  
  
And Kaoru couldn't hear him anymore. She looked around and noticed that the castle seemed much more darker than usual. She shrugged and looked for her room. No matter how nice Genzai-sensei was, she didn't want to get checked up on. She was perfectly fine except for the 'little' scratch on her arm. She just planned to rinse it out in the bathroom and wrap it up nice and tight with a thin piece of cloth.  
  
But fate wouldn't have it that way and Kaoru found herself face to face with the Ouji-sama the next second.  
  
"I had a weird feeling you weren't going to come by Genzai-sensei's," Kenshin said, and quickly noticed the deep wound on Kaoru's arm. "Kaoru- dono! Your arm!"  
  
"Is fine," Kaoru said, pulling her arm away so he wouldn't see.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin said sternly, forcefully yet gently, grabbing Kaoru's arm. "This wound is not okay!" Kenshin said, surprised to find the gash to be so deep. "We have to get this treated immediately!"  
  
"Mou! Stop scolding me as if I'm your daughter!" Kaoru complained, taking her bloody arm, and cradling it to her chest. "It's perfectly fine!" Kaoru headed back down the hallway, but found herself being lifted off the floor.  
  
"You make things so difficult, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, walking quickly along to Genzai-sensei's room.  
  
"I can walk, thank you very much," Kaoru said without much force, but allowed herself to be carried off the good doctor's office twice by Kenshin. "Can I ask you something?" Kaoru asked, seeing that the office seemed a bit far away.  
  
Kenshin cocked his head cutely to the side as if asking "what?"  
  
"Where did you meet Mei?" Kaoru asked, suddenly blushing at the direct question and looking away.  
  
"Mei-dono?" Kenshin confirmed. "Eto.I think I was arranged to marry her awhile ago."  
  
"And why didn't you?" Kaoru asked.  
  
Kenshin shrugged. "She doesn't seem to be the one I want to spend my whole life with, if you know what I mean."  
  
"So you're really going pretty deep into this whole wife thing, aren't you?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"I just want a wife I honestly love from my heart," Kenshin replied truthfully. He blushed in an embarrassed way. "It sounds like a fantasy, doesn't it, Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "Not at all."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: I know it's not the best chapter, but I try. Hopefully I get the next chapter out more quickly. I guarantee the next the chapter will be much better.Hopefully. 


	7. The Request

A/N: Yay! Chapter seven's out! I think I got it out more quickly than the other chapters, don't you think? And, no.Enishi was just a one-time thing for fun. He's not coming back~. Thanks to everyone for their lovely reviews! And special thanks to Kasumi-san and XenoMark-san for editing.  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply.  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 7  
  
Kaoru could have sworn that nothing could have gotten any worse since the first day she arrived at the palace. Apparently, it was quite possible. Two months had quickly gone by, and the first thing Kaoru noticed that a woman was missing from the room she shared with the usual six.  
  
"They dismiss three women every two months," Misao informed to the puzzled Kaoru.  
  
"Nani?!" Kaoru flared. She expected to be the first to get kicked out, but it seemed as if life wanted to torment her even more. "Who was kicked out?"  
  
"From this room, I think a woman named Nanomi or something," Misao said, scratching her chin in thought. "I'm not too sure. She was a quiet one."  
  
"Mou!" Kaoru yelled to no one in particular. It seemed as if all her "hard" work in giving herself a bad image didn't seem to quite work.  
  
"Ou-sama wouldn't dismiss you, Kaoru-san!" Misao said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. She began folding the blankets of the six queen size beds. "I doubt he had anyone worthwhile to talk to or even argue with for awhile."  
  
Kaoru let out an exasperated sigh. "Are you telling me that I have to dress pretty and speak politely to get kicked out?"  
  
Misao shrugged playfully. "Now wouldn't that be a funny sight, Kaoru- san?"  
  
Kaoru chucked a pillow at Misao with her good arm (the other which was injured from the incident with the horses). "Very funny, Misao-chan."  
  
Before Misao could throw the pillow back to the offender's head, the door burst open with a bang. Guess who?  
  
"Mei," Kaoru growled.  
  
Mei was standing at the doorway in a new, soft purple dress. She looked around, and stepped inside. "You! Slave!" She hollered squeakily at Misao. "I'm taking this bed," she said, pointing her gloved hand at the bed closest to the bathrooms.  
  
"That one is taken, your highness," Misao grumbled, not bothering to look at Mei.  
  
"Then tell the occupant to move," Mei said arrogantly. She stuck her nose up in the air after noticing Kaoru's presence. "Am I stuck here with you?" She asked, staring Kaoru dead in the eye.  
  
"I could say the same about you!" Kaoru shot back. "Don't you have a country to go back to?"  
  
Mei rolled her eyes. "I compromised with Hiko-sama that I would win Kenshin fair and square. It wouldn't be fair if Kenshin came straight to me without even slightly considering any of you.except for you, of course," Mei said, eyeing Kaoru's usual worn dress. "I might as well show everyone how much more Kenshin could love me than all of them combined."  
  
"Well, good luck," Kaoru said with a sarcastic nod. "I really hope you win his heart."  
  
"I won't even have to try," Mei said, brushing past Kaoru and scuttling out the door looking for Kenshin.  
  
Misao shook her head once the elegant woman was gone. "I swear I could strangle her!" she growled.  
  
"It would do all of us some good if you did," Kaoru said smugly.  
  
Misao laughed. "If it were only that simple."  
  
Kaoru only nodded in agreement, and finished folding the last of the blankets.  
  
"Eto.Kaoru-dono?"  
  
Kaoru turned her head to the large, oak door to see the short prince sticking his little red head through it. "Hai, Ouji-sama?"  
  
"We have our weekly meeting right now," Kenshin said with a goofy smile. "Is it not a good time?" He asked.  
  
"Hmmm? No, I don't think so," Kaoru replied, glancing over at Misao who was smiling innocently as hell.  
  
"You two have fun," Misao said, ushering Kaoru out the door. "Let me finish my work here in peace, thank you very much."  
  
"Ah!" Kaoru felt herself being shoved out the door, straight into Kenshin's arms. "Mis-!" Before Kaoru could scold Misao for pushing her, the door slammed shut.  
  
It took Kaoru a whole second to realize that she was toppled on top of Kenshin. Blushing furiously, Kaoru clumsily stood up and helped Kenshin back on his feet. "Eto.was there anything specific you had in mind to do today?" Kaoru asked, averting her eyes up to the high ceiling.  
  
Kenshin shook his head. "I didn't have anything planned, Kaoru- dono," Kenshin replied. "Do you want to do anything?"  
  
Kaoru shrugged. "There really isn't much to do here," she replied honestly.  
  
Kenshin let out a smile. "Then I guess we don't have to stay here," he said. He instinctively grabbed Kaoru's petite hand in his, dragging her lightly through the castle into the spacious great hall. He let go of Kaoru's hand, and she suddenly felt cold without him.  
  
"Sanosuke," Kenshin called to one of the guards performing duty by the front doors.  
  
"Yeah, Kenshin?" he replied, walking over to Kenshin.  
  
"If Shishou is looking for me, do you mind just telling him I'll be back by nightfall?"  
  
"Eh? What do you plan to do until then?" Sano asked slyly, eyeing Kaoru over Kenshin's shoulder. "Did you pick one out already?"  
  
Sano immediately found himself sprawled on the floor, a footprint implanted in his lean face. "Kuso! What was that for, Jou-chan?"  
  
Kaoru towered over him, glowering menacingly. " 'Pick one out already'?" Kaoru asked, imitating Sano's previous words. "Do I look like some merchandise someone can just pluck from a store window anytime they desire, Sanosuke?" Kaoru asked in a threatening tone and remembering his name from Kenshin's earlier greeting.  
  
"Of course not, Jou-chan!" Sano defended, getting up from the floor.  
  
"If I ever hear you implying that again, I won't aim for your face next time," Kaoru assured.  
  
Sano paled. "Sure thing, Jou-chan," he said, stumbling away from Kaoru's piercing gaze.  
  
"Ano.Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked, prodding Kaoru ever so gently on the back.  
  
Kaoru turned around slowly. "Hai?" she growled.  
  
"Would you like to stop by the town?" Kenshin asked, inwardly hoping that Kaoru would stop glaring. "It would probably be more fun than staying in this cramped up place."  
  
Kaoru face lit up. "That would be wonderful! Do you mean it?"  
  
Kenshin couldn't help smile at Kaoru's enthusiasm. He nodded. "Let's go then, Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Uhn!" Kaoru said with a hearty nod and followed Kenshin out the heavy front doors where a mediocre-looking carriage awaited them. Kenshin helped Kaoru in, and followed in after her. The ride to the town was short as the distance needed to be traveled was down a gentle hill and a little way down.  
  
"I wonder if the town has changed at all," Kaoru mused, staring out the small window.  
  
"You must miss it, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said apologetically. It was partially his fault that Kaoru and the other women were taken from their homes to have a chance to live in what people thought to be glory and riches.  
  
Kaoru nodded. "It's been awhile," she said softly.  
  
The rest of the ride was silent and comforting as both passengers were lost in their own thoughts.  
  
The carriage halted to a stop at the edge of the town, and the door opened. Kenshin stepped out and offered Kaoru his hand. She took it, hopping off the carriage. A broad smile spread across her face as she recognized the bustling activity of the little town. She sniffed the air to find it filled with the scent of flowers being sold at markets and fresh bread being baked at her favorite bakery.  
  
"C'mon, Ouji-sama!" Kaoru called, grabbing Kenshin's wrist and weaving her way through the crowd.  
  
Kenshin allowed himself to be dragged to a bakery. Kaoru gently opened the door and called into the store. "Sayo-chan?"  
  
"Kaoru-chan?" A voice answered, coming from behind the counter.  
  
Kaoru smiled as a head popped from behind the cash register. "Sayo- chan!" Kaoru screamed happily as she embraced her best friend in a bone- crushing hug.  
  
"You're out of the palace already?" Sayo asked, tucking her brown strands behind her ears. Before Kaoru could respond, Sayo eyed Kenshin with a smirk. "Is he your husband? What a catch, Kaoru-chan!"  
  
Kaoru couldn't push down the rushing blood flooding into her cheeks. "No, Sayo-chan, he's not my husband. He is just an acquaintance, and I am still housing at the palace. Speaking of husbands, how is yours?"  
  
Sayo gave a sheepish smile and gave a curious shrug. "He's been going on and on about how he's going to expand a business all throughout Japan. A chain of bakeries! What a dreamer!"  
  
"He could definitely do it!" Kaoru said enthusiastically.  
  
Sayo shook her head. "He doesn't know the first thing about spreading or even starting a decent business."  
  
"He could always learn," Kaoru assured. "Anyway, I just wanted to stop by here to say hi. I've got to make a spin around the whole town by sundown. Ja ne!"  
  
"Catch, Kaoru-chan!" Sayo called out as Kaoru turned to leave. She tossed two sweet buns at her. Kaoru caught both easily and yelled out a thanks.  
  
"Sayo-chan has got the best bakery in town," Kaoru informed Kenshin as she handed over to him one of the sweet buns.  
  
"Have you two been friends for long?" Kenshin asked, chewing on the deliciously sweet bread.  
  
"A couple of years now," Kaoru replied, weaving her way through thinning crowds with Kenshin.  
  
"Where are you headed to now?" Kenshin asked, noticing a lighter bounce to Kaoru's step and a more genuine brightness to her smile. Who would've known she was that unhappy back at the palace. They would all think her outbursts were just for show.  
  
"I was thinking we could stop by a barn at the outskirts, a few minutes from here where an old friend works at. Then, we could get a bite to eat and visit a few people. I doubt we'll have time to stop by the dojo. I probably would refuse to leave it.again," Kaoru replied with a sheepish smile. "I hope this isn't such a hassle for you. You've barely said anything."  
  
Kenshin just radiated off a warm smile. "I'm having more fun than I've ever had in years, Kaoru-dono. Trust me."  
  
Kaoru looked at him doubtfully.  
  
"Honestly!" Kenshin defended. "The town's a very interesting place. It's just so alive!"  
  
Kaoru grinned in a proud motherly fashion, but didn't say anything.  
  
They followed Kaoru's vague schedule. At the barn, Kenshin was introduced to a man who was referred to as "Chicken Peto" who was strangely obsessed with the perfection of taking care of chickens. Then they ate at a cozy little restaurant where Kaoru and Kenshin were noticed more than once as the cutest couple people have ever seen. Afterwards, Kaoru and Kenshin wandered among the streets, playing around at the markets, looking at strange imported merchandise or admiring exquisite yet fake looking jewelry.  
  
Kaoru could have sworn her face could have ripped from smiling too much. She was crunching away on an apple Kenshin bought from an old woman selling fruits on the street. Kenshin walked beside Kaoru towards to where the carriage was waiting for them. "I had a lot of fun, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said.  
  
"Me too," Kaoru said, climbing aboard the carriage with Kenshin's aid. "Apple?" Kaoru offered, lifting the half-eaten apple level to Kenshin's face.  
  
Kenshin stared at the fruit with an amused expression on his face.  
  
"It's good!" Kaoru said, urging for Kenshin to take a bite. "Is it not proper for you to share an apple with a dirty woman like me?"  
  
Kenshin took the apple and took an enormous bite out of it, making Kaoru smile. "Good?" she asked, waiting for Kenshin's response.  
  
He swallowed. "Delicious," he declared.  
  
"Good," Kaoru said with satisfaction, and took the apple back, taking a bite out of it herself.  
  
"And you're not a dirty woman, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said.  
  
"Compared to royal standards, I am as dirty as the horse's crap," Kaoru said bitterly, her mood plummeting, but encouraged herself to look and feel happy.  
  
"Look at me, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, lightly grabbing Kaoru's shoulders. "You're not dirty at all. If anything, you're a strong, confident woman who is anything but dirty. Just because you don't wear those big dresses or apply makeup on everyday doesn't make you worse than Mei-dono or even Megumi-dono. You're beautiful as you already are."  
  
Kaoru was totally baffled by Kenshin's words, and opened and closed her mouth, not able to find the right words to say. "Eto.Arigato." Kaoru kept her eyes averted away from Kenshin's violet ones.  
  
"I mean it, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin reassured with a smile. "Being differently wonderful is not a sin."  
  
Kaoru just nodded. She had never heard such compliments or praises of herself said straight to her own ears. Sure, her friends call her brave and confident every once in awhile, but it never hit such a nerve as Kenshin's had.  
  
"We're here, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, hopping out of the door and offering his hand to her.  
  
She took it nervously, and stepped out, her apple totally forgotten in the seat of the carriage. It was already dark, and Kaoru unconsciously held onto Kenshin's arm to keep herself steady.  
  
The large oak doors were opened to allow them to pass.  
  
And good things must come to an end, ne? Such events as this.  
  
"KENSHIN!!"  
  
"Ah..Mei-dono," Kenshin choked out as Mei yelled and strangled the poor man in a crushing hug.  
  
Kaoru quickly let go of Kenshin's arm.  
  
"Where were you?" Mei asked, pouting. "I was looking all day for you."  
  
"I was out with Kaoru-dono," Kenshin replied.  
  
Mei swiftly glared at Kaoru's still form. "What in the world were you doing with this filthy woman, Kenshin?"  
  
"She's not filthy, Mei-dono," Kenshin defended Kaoru.  
  
Mei rolled her eyes and let go of Kenshin.  
  
"Well, I guess I'll get ready for dinner," Kaoru said, smiling weakly as she did so. She quickly walked across the great hall to the dormitories. She felt herself being followed by Mei and her clanking heels and waited until the woman was in the shared bedroom before they began bickering at all.  
  
"What right do you have, Kamiya?" Mei scowled, slamming the door of the room shut.  
  
"Right to do what? Have fun with Ouji-sama?" Kaoru challenged.  
  
"I see how you look at him."  
  
"And how is that?"  
  
"With adoration," Mei replied. "I ignored it at first, but it's gone too far, Kamiya! I see how you always give him that look."  
  
"What look?" Kaoru asked exasperatedly.  
  
"The look of love, of course," Mei said. "And I won't stand for it! Kenshin belongs to me, and I expect for you to stop hanging around with him and having fun with him unless I am present! I hope I make myself clear!"  
  
"There will be no need for that," Kaoru said in a low voice, expertly hiding her befuddled reaction to Mei's response.  
  
"And why not?"  
  
"I won't be here to follow some silly rule of yours," Kaoru said. "I have no intention of falling for Ouji-sama. He's all yours, Mei."  
  
"Good," Mei said with a huff and turned her heel, leaving Kaoru alone in the room.  
  
"Love?" Kaoru thought incredulously. She scoffed at the idea, but could it be true? "Nonsense! There's no way I could be falling for Kenshin. Not one way at all!" Kaoru contemplated the idea, becoming more and more unsure of her feelings for the little man. "Is there any chance that it's possible?" Kaoru grew nervous at the thought.too nervous. "Oh dear heavens, I'm in love with Kenshin."  
  
Kaoru shook her head in disbelief. It was the very thing she tried preventing herself from doing. It was the only thing she thought would be impossible for her, but fate had decided to contradict her again. Before Kaoru could get into her thoughts any longer, the dinner bell rang. Kaoru nervously walked to the dining room, and took her usual seat.  
  
Kenshin was already there, watching Kaoru's suddenly unsure movements. Something was definitely wrong. "Had Mei-dono said something to offend Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin thought. "I'm hoping not."  
  
Kaoru sat and stared blankly at the cloth, and whenever she averted her eyes to another place, it was always opposite to where Kenshin sat. Dinner was served in its usual manner, and Hiko shared his own bit of opinion about Kaoru as usual. This time, Kaoru didn't argue back. She was too afraid of what she would come out her mouth. Mei ignored her the whole time, using up her time in hand-feeding Kenshin.  
  
Dinner ended so slowly, Kaoru felt herself aging. Hiko made his usual dramatic exit, and Kaoru quickly followed in hurried footsteps. She knew Hiko knew she was following him, but he didn't say or do anything until they were both up in his study upstairs (which seemed to take hours to get to).  
  
"What is it Kamiya? Is something bothering you?" Hiko said, pouring himself some sake.  
  
Kaoru held her head straight and her feet planted firmly on the ground. "I request that I am dismissed," she demanded.  
  
End of chapter 7  
  
A/N: Eh! I tried putting some K+K moments in there. Thanks for reading! 


	8. The Dismissal

T.Anjel: An uneventful chapter, but it was needed. What can I say? Thanks as always to everyone who reviewed! You guys always make my day. And thanks to XenoMark and Kasumi for editing. Enjoy this the best you can.  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 8  
  
"Dismissed?" Hiko inquired to clarify Kaoru's request.  
  
"Hai, Ou-sama," Kaoru replied, nodding her head for emphasize.  
  
The king took a long chug of sake before giving any comment. "And why, may I ask, do you suddenly want to leave, Kamiya?" He asked.  
  
"I can only tolerate so much of ignorance and stupidity in this place," Kaoru answered. "My patience with this whole royal place grows thin."  
  
Hiko nodded partially believing in what Kaoru was saying. "If I said you weren't to be dismissed, you would leave anyway, would you not?"  
  
Kaoru grinded her teeth with irritation at Hiko's frustrating questions. "Probably," she replied simply with a forced, sarcastic smile.  
  
Hiko shrugged. "Just asking," he said, and took another swing at his sake jug. "Here comes my baka deshi."  
  
As if on cue, the door opened and Kenshin walked into the musty room. "Is something the matter, Shishou? Kaoru-dono?"  
  
"Why don't you tell him, Kamiya?" Hiko asked, leaning back in his western chair.  
  
Kaoru turned around to partially face Kenshin. "I am requesting to be dismissed, Ouji-sama."  
  
"Dismissed?" Kenshin asked in surprise. "Is something the matter?"  
  
"I've never wanted to stay here in the first place," Kaoru said, avoiding Kenshin's confused eyes.  
  
"We all knew that," Hiko said with a scoff.  
  
Kaoru shot him a glare and returned her attention to Kenshin. "Even if you deny my request, I'll just have to run off. It's as simple as that."  
  
Kenshin stood, thinking silently for a second before nodding hesitantly. "Yes, you may leave, Kaoru-dono," he said.  
  
For some strange reason, Kaoru didn't feel satisfied with that answer. She suddenly felt rejected. Ignoring the tugging at her heart, Kaoru gave a weak smile. "Thank you," she said. She bowed to Hiko and then to Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin bowed back. "I'll have a carriage for you ready outside," he said quietly, heading out before her.  
  
Kaoru nodded in thanks. "I'll miss you," she said to Hiko before exiting and being followed out by Kenshin.  
  
Hiko smirked. "So will I, Kamiya," he mumbled before finishing off his large sake jar.  
  
Kaoru quickly stopped by her room to bid Misao a quick farewell. She had been the closest and most dependable friend Kaoru had in the palace. She asked Misao to say good-bye to Yahiko, Genzai-sensei, Tae, and the cooks for her. Misao agreed in her own oceans of tears, which were uselessly dabbed at her handkerchief.  
  
Kaoru headed out through the great hall, quickly saying "bye" to Sanosuke and told the stoic guard, whom she rightfully assumed to be Aoshi, to take care of Misao. She found the same carriage that she and Kenshin rode in earlier that day waiting for her. A servant opened the door for her, and Kaoru climbed in. Inside was the core of the apple she ate earlier that day. Feeling guilty for littering the clean carriage, Kaoru took the core into her hands.  
  
The leftover apple was making Kaoru feel depressed. It was the last moment she shared with Kenshin. No matter how much she wanted to deny it, she was going to miss the redheaded man. "Maybe I'll see him sometime," Kaoru thought. "Nowhere in the near future, I doubt."  
  
Kaoru rambled carelessly to herself for the suddenly long ride back to the town. She stared out the window as the castle she took refuge in for the past two months were fading behind the horizon.  
  
"Arigato," Kaoru mumbled as she was helped out of the carriage. She gave a deep bow before sauntering into her beloved town.  
  
The dirt grinded under her worn shoes and the night air gently nipped at her clothes and skin. The tugging at her heart, which Kaoru tried to ignore earlier that night, grew stronger, making her chest feel heavy with an invisible burden. "Why does it feel so wrong?" Kaoru mumbled aloud as she finally reached her destination.  
  
She stared up at the heavy wooden doors, and they didn't seem as warm and welcoming as she expected them to be. She shoved open one of the doors in frustration and banged it shut. "Tadaima," she said to herself before scanning the two-month deserted facility. "Mou! It's so quiet!" Kaoru complained to herself as she stomped up the wooden platform and slid the shoji of her room open.  
  
Kaoru couldn't help smile at the extremely clean room she possessed. "Yutaro overdid himself," Kaoru thought before laying out her futon in the middle of the floor. She was too tired to start up a bath, and with a quick motion, changed into her sleeping yakuta. After tying her hair into a loose braid, Kaoru tucked herself into bed, hoping her days would finally return to normal as if she had never been scouted away into the palace and met Kenshin.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Interesting answer, baka deshi," Hiko said, watching Kenshin's figure enter his room for the second time that night.  
  
Kenshin shrugged. "If Kaoru-dono was not happy staying here, she shouldn't be forced to give up her freedom for something as petty as finding me a wife."  
  
"Che," Hiko responded, testing his limits with sake once again. "Then who do you expect to wed when this whole charade is over?" Hiko questioned, desperately praying to himself that the reply wouldn't be Mei. "It won't be a petty ordeal if your wife would soon end up to be the new queen."  
  
Kenshin gave another shrug as his answer before exiting from Hiko Seijuro's sight.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Breakfast the next morning was not the same in either the castle or the Kamiya dojo.  
  
There was a hushed sort of silence lingering in the air as Kenshin silently ate his food and brushed Mei away from hanging all over him. Hiko didn't have anyone worthy of his standards to argue with, and the other women were only too aware of the single absence, which made them so much at ease.  
  
Kaoru woke up late with the sun seeping through the paper door and blinding her eyes. She made herself a small breakfast and tried not to compare it to the foods she had back at the castle. Kaoru took a quick bath and changed to her gi and hakama, ready to start her day fresh. She hoped her star students, Yutaro and Shinji had taken good care of her classes for the time she was gone. Even if they were young, they were fast learners and were quickly on top of the league.  
  
"Kaoru-san?" A voice called from the entrance of the dojo.  
  
Kaoru smiled at Yutaro who was obviously surprised by Kaoru's sudden reappearance. "I'm back, Yutaro," she said. "How have the classes been?"  
  
"They've been little devils if you want to know the truth," Yutaro said with a grin, closing the dojo doors behind him. "But they listened to Shinji and me for the majority of the time."  
  
Kaoru nodded in satisfaction. "Thank you," she said.  
  
"What was it like in the palace?" Yutaro asked in fascination.  
  
"Way more boring than here," Kaoru said.  
  
Yutaro pouted. "Yeah right," he shot back.  
  
"Honestly!" Kaoru said, ruffling Yutaro's hair. "Now get ready for class. I've still got to warm up."  
  
The first class Kaoru taught that day was one of a higher level that Yutaro and Shinji themselves attended. Kaoru felt immediately at ease with the familiar students as they greeted her with smiles, exclamations and complaints about how Yutaro and Shinji couldn't teach if their lives depended on it.  
  
The class ended before Kaoru knew it, and she found herself slumped against a wall of the dojo, suddenly feeling empty without the presences of others. She didn't have another class that day for another couple of hours, and decided to stop by Reiko's for a little while. She was a childhood friend of Kaoru's. She, Kaoru and Sayo were the closest any three girls could get.  
  
At arrival to Reiko's family-owned flower shop, Kaoru noticed Reiko's older brother, Jun, replaced Reiko's usual spot behind the counter. "Konnichiwa, Jun-san," Kaoru greeted with a bow. He bowed back in his usual stiff manner. Kaoru used to have a crush on the older man when she was younger, only to find later to find that she was just kidding herself to think she could ever win the heart of her friend's brother. "Is Reiko not here?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"She fell ill last night," Jun answered in a monotone. "If you're going to stop by her house, do me a favor and drop this off there." He handed to Kaoru a small box of tealeaves. "It's to help break her fever."  
  
Kaoru nodded, pocketing the box in her sleeve and bowed a farewell. She headed down the bustling dirt road to a small, secluded part of town where Reiko's house was located. Kaoru knocked on Reiko's wood door and a flushed looking Reiko opened it.  
  
"Reiko!" Kaoru exclaimed, putting the small box down on a kitchen table and quickly ushering Reiko to her room. "You look terrible!"  
  
"Thanks," Reiko said, automatically falling into the ruffled futon. "I feel like crap."  
  
Kaoru felt Reiko's forehead to find it to be steaming hot. She rushed to get a bowl of water and a small towel. She soaked it and gently laid the cool cloth to Reiko's head.  
  
"Thanks," Reiko said, closing her eyes a cool sensation washed over her for a few seconds before being overwhelmed with heat again. "What are you doing here?" She asked.  
  
"I just wanted to see how my favorite florist was feeling," Kaoru said, refreshing the cloth with water.  
  
"I've been better, but it's nothing I can't handle," Reiko said. "I thought you were still back at the palace."  
  
"I got out last night," Kaoru informed her.  
  
"Honto? If you got out last night, how come Sayo told me you stopped by her bakery in the afternoon?" Reiko asked to clarify the matter.  
  
"It was just a small outing with Ouji-sama," Kaoru replied simply.  
  
"Nani?" Reiko yelled, bolting upright in her futon. She was quickly plagued by a piercing headache. "You're so lucky, Kaoru!"  
  
Kaoru just shook her head at her friend's envious gaze.  
  
"I heard he's a pretty good-looking guy!" Reiko said with a devilish smirk. "You two must've been really close to hang around the town like that."  
  
Kaoru felt blood rush into her face. "It's not like that at all!" She cried.  
  
"You're blushing," Reiko teased.  
  
"I'm not!"  
  
"Mmmhmm."  
  
"Really!"  
  
"But Kaoru," Reiko said, dropping her teasing tone.  
  
"Nani?" Kaoru asked with a pout.  
  
"Why did you leave?" Reiko asked.  
  
"Leave?" Kaoru asked. "Who said I left?"  
  
Reiko shrugged. "I just have a pretty good gut feeling that it wasn't a dismissal that brought you out of the palace."  
  
"It's not that I had to go out, it's that I had to come back in here! Back to the dojo!" Kaoru said, completely forgetting that Reiko was a very keen observer when it came to reading someone's face. It was nearly impossible to get a simple, white lie past her.  
  
"Whatever you say, Kaoru," Reiko said. "You couldn't possibly have tried to run away? Perhaps?"  
  
"What makes you say that?" Kaoru asked incredulously.  
  
"I've practiced years in reading emotions on people's faces, Kaoru. You know that," Reiko said. "Especially since I have one of the most impassive brothers in the world."  
  
"You don't have to remind me," Kaoru grumbled.  
  
"So I'm right!" Reiko said. "You are running away from something! Or is it someone?"  
  
"It's nothing!" Kaoru whined, wanting to drop the subject badly.  
  
"Why run away, Kaoru?" Reiko asked. "Why not take the chance?"  
  
"Because there are certain people whom I will refuse to allow to.to.be able to take a special role in my life!" Kaoru stuttered, trying to find the right words to put her frustrating sentence with.  
  
"And why is that?" Reiko asked.  
  
"You know why. You know all too well why," Kaoru mumbled. "I tried to let the matter go, and I eventually did! But it still bothers me, you know? It's still in the back of my head, warning me." Kaoru paused. "I know it was all back in the past, years ago, but it's not as if I could actually just.just.forget!"  
  
Reiko nodded and paused before saying, "Don't you have a class to get back to?" She and Kaoru both knew they were touching upon a subject a little sensitive for Kaoru's taste.  
  
"Yeah," Kaoru mumbled and quickly rewashed the towel before leaving. "Ja ne, Reiko."  
  
"Ja."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Kenshin!" Mei whined, latching herself onto his arm. "Pay attention to me!"  
  
"Look, Mei-dono," Kenshin said, prying her claws from him. "I have to give Yahiko his kendo lesson at the moment. Will you please stop following me?"  
  
Mei looked taken aback. "Kenshin!" She said.  
  
"I'll talk to you later, ne?" Kenshin said, jogging over to where the dojo was. The castle has seemed to lose its spark once Kaoru left. It was strange how everything looked normal, but it still felt forced and tense. It wasn't as if Kaoru interacted with all the women either and affected them in some emotional way. Kenshin had to admit that he missed her daily arguments with Shishou in the mornings and her strong spirit and determination. He missed her all right.  
  
"You're late Kenshin!" Yahiko scolded as Kenshin trudged down the steps to the dojo.  
  
"Gomen, Yahiko," Kenshin apologized. "I was delayed."  
  
"By Mei, I'd bet," Yahiko scowled.  
  
"Ah," Kenshin replied. "But enough of that."  
  
"I haven't seen busu around. Have you?" Yahiko asked. Kenshin sighed. Yahiko obviously hadn't heard.  
  
"She's been dismissed, Yahiko," Kenshin said, loathing the words that came out of his mouth.  
  
"Naze?" Yahiko asked, finding the news to be slightly depressing.  
  
"Why?" Kenshin repeated. "Because she wanted it."  
  
"I don't believe it!" Yahiko said, looking frustrated. "She seemed to like it here enough!"  
  
Kenshin shrugged. "I don't think she did. She had a dojo to run as well back home."  
  
"Kaoru could fight?" Yahiko asked, not too surprised at the news. "I'd really like to see that," he said thoughtfully.  
  
"So why don't you?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"I would!" Yahiko said. "I want to too! Studying other techniques is good for my skills, ne?"  
  
Kenshin nodded.  
  
"Come with me Kenshin!" Yahiko demanded. "I have no idea where her dojo is and I want to challenge busu."  
  
Kenshin nodded again. "I think I will."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: Awww! K+K are separated, but it's only for the moment, folks! And I hope everyone can hate Mei even more. She's going to become a total nuisance for the next chapters. As if she isn't already. ^^. Until next time! Ja! 


	9. The Visit

T.Anjel: Sorry for taking so long with this chapter, but the holiday season gets so hectic~ ^^;; Well, the chapter's out and thanks to Kasumi- san and XenoMark-san for editing the chapter. Of course, thanks to everyone who reviewed and read this fic as well.  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 9  
  
"To all those who were supposed to have the weekly meetings with me today, with my utmost apologies, I'm going to have to meet you on another day," Kenshin announced at the breakfast table. He had everyone's undivided attention for he rarely ever spoke at breakfast.  
  
"And for what, baka deshi?" Hiko asked from the other far end.  
  
"For some extended training with Yahiko, Shishou."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaoru rubbed her temples, attempting to soothe her tense nerves. The kids today hadn't been the most saintly angels, more like devils, and the dream she had the other night after her little talk with Reiko hadn't done anything to help her either.  
  
Kaoru recalled the strange dream. She was back at the palace in a room she was pretty sure was Hiko's. She was talking, but couldn't remember what she was saying. Then the scenery blinked into her dojo. She was standing in front of one of her beginner classes dressed fully in gi and hakama. Just as quickly as the scenes changed, Kaoru was suddenly in a sea of a black haze. Through it all, she saw Kenshin smiling. Kaoru reached out for him, and he reached for her. Strange thing was, they were getting further and further apart. Before Kaoru knew it, Kenshin was embraced in another woman's arms. Why should she care, but Kaoru did, and it hurt.  
  
A loud knock snapped Kaoru out of her dazed thoughts, not allowing her to finish contemplating her dream. "Coming!" She slipped off the platform surrounding the dojo and house, and dawdled toward the heavy wooden doors. Kaoru heaved the smaller door opened to find the little stable boy, Yahiko and Kenshin standing before her eyes.  
  
"I think she's surprised, Kenshin," Yahiko said, seeing Kaoru open her mouth in surprise.  
  
"I hope we're not interrupting anything, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said.  
  
"Ah, no!" Kaoru replied, unsure of how to treat the prince at her humble and messy adobe. She suddenly felt very self-conscious about her appearance and home. "Ano.come in," Kaoru mumbled, opening the door fully for Yahiko and Kenshin to enter. "What brings you here?" Kaoru asked, leading the two guests to one of the cleaner rooms for some tea.  
  
"Yahiko wanted to study your style," Kenshin replied simply, taking in the natural and humble surroundings of Kaoru's home.  
  
"I see," Kaoru said, opening a shoji door, and motioning for them to sit down. "Allow me to get some tea." She hustled off towards the kitchen, suddenly feeling very nervous. She quickly made lukewarm tea and carried the tray to the room where Yahiko and Kenshin were talking in low, amiable voices.  
  
"Didn't anyone notice that you are the prince?" Kaoru asked, referring to the people of the town.  
  
"I don't think so," Kenshin replied. "The woman from the bakery thought I looked familiar but nothing more than that."  
  
"You went to the bakery?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"How else do you think we were to get the directions to your dojo, busu?" Yahiko retorted and was quickly greeted with a smack on the head.  
  
"Don't you have things to do back at the palace?" Kaoru asked worriedly.  
  
"They can wait," Kenshin replied.  
  
"Kaoru-san!"  
  
"Oh!" Kaoru said, quickly standing up and poking her head out the shoji door. "Ah! Yutaro! You're a little early, aren't you?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Gomen! I was just a little bored at home, and I thought I could just get a few early minutes at the dojo. Do you have guests?" Yutaro asked. "I could just come back after a few minutes."  
  
"Iie," Kaoru said. "Why don't you come in with us?"  
  
"That would be rude, Kaoru-san," Yutaro said, backing away towards the door.  
  
Listening in on their conversation, Kenshin came out onto the platform as well. "Do come and join us," Kenshin said.  
  
"But."  
  
"The more the merrier," Kenshin added.  
  
"C'mon Yutaro," Kaoru said, as the boy let in and joined the other three in the room. He sat beside Kaoru.  
  
"Yutaro, this is Yahiko and," Kaoru paused at Kenshin, unsure of whether to introduce him as the prince.  
  
"Kenshin," Kenshin finished off for Kaoru.  
  
"Aa.Yahiko stopped by today to study the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," Kaoru informed Yutaro. "Yutaro's my star student," Kaoru said with pride, directing her statement to Yahiko.  
  
"Eh?" Yahiko said, challenge most visible in his eyes.  
  
"What style do you use?" Yutaro asked politely.  
  
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu," Yahiko gloated.  
  
Kaoru grimaced as she felt the sparks begin to form between the two boys. Kenshin probably also felt it, but found amusement in it.  
  
It was only a matter of a few seconds before either of them shot up and challenged the other. Yahiko managed to get up first, pointing his shinai at Yutaro who was still seated at the floor. "I challenge you, Yutaro of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu."  
  
"I accept your challenge," Yutaro said, standing up as well and facing Yahiko.  
  
Kaoru and Kenshin followed both determined teenagers in silence to the dojo where they quickly did stretches to warm up their muscles.  
  
Kaoru sat down and Kenshin sat down next to her. "Interesting, isn't it, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"I have a feeling one of them is going to get hurt really bad," Kaoru said, burying her head in her hands. "I don't mind the whole prospect of having a one-on-one match, but those two seem bound for something I don't want to think about."  
  
"Maa maa, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin comforted. "Those two have very good control over their styles, I know and could tell."  
  
Kaoru nodded, suddenly feeling that Kenshin was sitting a bit too close with her to feel comfortable. She could've sworn that she felt his body heat engulfing her form. 'Calm down, Kaoru!' Kaoru thought, scolding herself mentally.  
  
Both students bowed and readied their shinais.  
  
"Myojin Yahiko, Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu," Yahiko announced solidly.  
  
"Tsukayama Yutaro, Kamiya Kasshin Ryu," Yutaro said.  
  
There was a still tension in the air Kaoru couldn't describe as both fighters stared each other down, trying to anticipate each other's moves. "A Battoujutsu stance?" Kaoru wondered aloud as she noticed a familiarity to Yahiko's form.  
  
"Aa," Kenshin replied quietly, watching the two boys.  
  
Yahiko attacked first, whipping out his shinai from the side of his hip and swinging it hard as he ran with amazing speed towards Yutaro. Yutaro immediately saw it coming and slid to the side, bringing his own shinai upward as he did so.  
  
Yahiko would've probably have had a shinai embedded into his stomach if he didn't dodge sloppily out of the way in time. He quickly countered once he got his footing, but instead of whacking his shinai on Yutaro's body, both of their weapons met with determined force. It was quickly a battle of strength as both tried to overcome the other's muscle-power with their own.  
  
Kaoru watched both fighters intently. She honestly could not figure out what the outcome would become. She glanced over at Kenshin to see him staring back right at her. Kaoru blushed to the roots of her hair and quickly averted her eyes back to the boys.  
  
Kenshin smiled to himself as Kaoru turned a tint of pink and turned away in embarrassment. He, himself, didn't expect to get caught staring at her, but it couldn't be helped. From the short time of his visit, Kenshin knew Kaoru was more relaxed in this atmosphere rather than in the stiff space of a palace. It was a good thing she requested to be dismissed and that it was granted, right?  
  
Two loud grunts got Kenshin's attention. Their strengths were equal. Neither of them could budge the other, so they both jumped away, wary of the other's movements.  
  
Both were breathing heavily, and sweat poured down their faces. Yutaro began the offense and his feet pattered rapidly against the wooden floor. He motioned for a vertical swing and Yahiko quickly dodged to the right only to be thrown off balance by a blow on the back from a horizontal strike.  
  
"A fake," Kenshin murmured.  
  
To dodge another quick blow Yutaro aimed at Yahiko's fumbling form, Yahiko dropped himself to the ground and brushed his leg under Yutaro's feet causing him to fall. As Yutaro fell, with one last shove, he thrust his bokken straight into Yahiko's abdomen, and both of them fell, panting.  
  
Kenshin and Kaoru both clapped in approval, and stood from their spots on the floor. Kaoru couldn't help let out a sigh of relief. Neither of them were injured badly. "You guys did great!" Kaoru said with a proud smile but couldn't help grimace at the death glares they shot at each other from the floor. "Mou! Couldn't you two just get along?"  
  
"Kaoru-sensei!" a little girl cried from the doorway of the dojo.  
  
"Ah! Miyuki-chan!" Kaoru said, going over to the girl and kneeling down to be level with her. "You came for today's lesson, ne?"  
  
"Hai!" Miyuki said with a broad smile. She lifted her miniature shinai in the air. "I practiced at home! Ne, Is that Kaoru-sensei's husband?" Miyuki asked, pointing her little weapon at the redhead who stood behind Kaoru.  
  
"No, he's not," Kaoru said, trying to stop the blood rising in her cheeks. "He's just a good friend."  
  
"Then can I marry him?" Miyuki asked with stars in her eyes.  
  
Kaoru was at a loss for words. "I don't know, Miyuki-chan. Would you want to marry a redheaded, ignorant, spoiled man like Kenshin over here?"  
  
"Oro! Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin exclaimed.  
  
"Maa maa, Kenshin," Kaoru said, imitating his earlier words. "I was just kidding."  
  
"Oro! Oro!" Miyuki chimed, forgetting about Kaoru's question. "What a funny man, Kaoru-sensei!"  
  
Before Kaoru could reply, five kids around Miyuki's age piled in yelling, "Kaoru-sensei! Kaoru-sensei!"  
  
Kaoru politely told Kenshin that he could wait and watch or just wander around the dojo or town. "The children's lessons are usually shorter since they don't have the endurance, so this shouldn't take too long."  
  
"Take all the time you need, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, and took his seat back on the floor.  
  
Kaoru stood in front of the class as the children scrambled to get a spot on the floor. "Let's begin!"  
  
Kenshin watched Kaoru take control of the small, lively class of children. She had a strange way of captivating her audience with a warm yet demanding voice. She demonstrated a perfect downward swing and told the class to follow along. "Ichi! Ni! San!" They chorused as they attempted to mimic their beloved teacher's movement.  
  
Yutaro helped the kids with their form and swing as he went in and around their moving forms. Kaoru even asked Yahiko to help out.  
  
Kenshin couldn't help but start drifting into his thoughts, staring at Kaoru's livened face as he did so. He wasn't one that would admit such a thing, but he knew that he felt something for Kaoru. It could possibly been love, but Kenshin knew if he were to tell that to Kaoru, he would just be humiliating himself and it would be a hopeless, one-sided romance.  
  
"Ne, Kenshin!" Kaoru called from the other side of the dojo as the children filed out. The name seemed to fit right on her tongue, and she didn't feel strange calling the prince by his first name.  
  
"Hai, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, snapping himself from his stupor and standing up.  
  
"I feel so disgusting right now, I hope you don't mind if I take quick bath," Kaoru said, pointing out the sweat on her brow.  
  
"Of course not," Kenshin said as he slowly fought to hide a blush. "Should I start it for you?"  
  
Kaoru stared dumbfounded at him. "Start my bath? Why would you do such a thing?"  
  
Kenshin shrugged. "I just thought it would be easier for you if I did."  
  
Kaoru blushed at the prospect of having Kenshin make the bath for her. "It's okay. Have Yutaro entertain you and Yahiko or go around town. I'll be done in a second."  
  
Kaoru quickly heated up the bath and took a bath in the tepid water. Quickly washing her hair and scrubbing her body clean, she climbed out of the tub and dried herself. She dressed in her favorite kimono she brought from her room and climbed out of the bathhouse while drying off her hair. "I wonder where they went," Kaoru thought, walking towards the house. "I smell food," she said, nearing the kitchens. "Definitely food."  
  
"I hope you don't mind that I ransacked your food, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said while he scaled some fish. "I just wanted to make you some dinner in thanks for letting us come by today. Yutaro-dono and Yahiko have gone out to get some extra tofu and some vegetables."  
  
"Aa." Kaoru was speechless again that day. She had never smelled food this good before.  
  
"Just relax, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said with a smile. "You seemed to have had a long day."  
  
Kaoru wanted to help with the cooking but knew too well that she would only end up being a bother. She watched Kenshin cook as he deftly held the fish firm on the cutting board and scratch off the scales of the fish.  
  
"How's everything going back at the palace?" Kaoru asked, hoping to make some conversation.  
  
"It's quieter," Kenshin replied with a smirk.  
  
"Hey!" Kaoru cried defensively and chucked a fish head at Kenshin. Kenshin dodged it with a smile.  
  
"And it's quite more boring and inactive," Kenshin replied. "How's it here?"  
  
"It's great," Kaoru replied. "A little lonely when the students aren't here, but I need my share of peace and quiet too."  
  
"I agree," Kenshin said, splitting the fish in half. "People miss you back there."  
  
"Yeah? Like who?" Kaoru challenged.  
  
"Shishou, for one," Kenshin said. "He hasn't had anyone worthy to argue with him for the past few days. Misao-dono as well. She told me to make sure to tell you that you have to visit again sometime." Kenshin paused. "And me. I missed you as well, Kaoru-dono."  
  
Kaoru lowered her head to cover her redness of her cheeks. "What for? You've got lots of other women there to treat you to your needs. No need to waste energy on me, Kenshin."  
  
"You give yourself less credit than you deserve, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said. "You probably know that already."  
  
Kaoru didn't respond and couldn't help but let the silence hang stiffly between the two destined couple.  
  
"Kenshin! We're back!" Yahiko called as he thundered with Yutaro at his heels into the kitchen. He dumped the vegetables in a bucket of water to wash and set down the small bucket of tofu. "Smells good, Kenshin!" Yahiko said, peering over Kenshin's shoulder.  
  
"Aa. It'll be done in a couple of minutes, Yahiko," Kenshin said.  
  
"Don't you have to get back to the palace?" Kaoru asked. "Don't they expect you to be there for at least dinner?"  
  
"They won't mind if I miss a dinner," Kenshin replied.  
  
"Demo." Kaoru argued.  
  
"If you want me to leave, Kaoru-dono, you just need to ask," Kenshin said, looking up from his fish at Kaoru.  
  
"Ah!" Kaoru blushed. "No.it's not that.I just thought that you have better things to do than to stay at this old place with me."  
  
"I would love to stay here any day with you, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said with innocence, making Kaoru blush even a deeper shade of red.  
  
"Ah! Busu's blushing! Makes you even more uglier!" Yahiko taunted, watching Kaoru fume at his comment.  
  
"Wrong thing to say, Yahiko," Yutaro mumbled in his ear as he watched his kendo teacher burn with annoyance. "You better run."  
  
"Get back here, Yahiko-chan!" Kaoru yelled, chasing down Yahiko who persisted his teasing.  
  
"Don't call me -chan!"  
  
Even from the kitchen, Kenshin was able to hear Kaoru's booming voice and thundering feet bounding across and through the entire dojo. He couldn't help smiling at her outwardly, raucous manner.  
  
"Can I help?" Yutaro asked Kenshin.  
  
"Aa," Kenshin replied. "You can start washing the vegetables."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~30 minutes later~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Dinner's ready, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin called as he finished setting the table with food.  
  
Kaoru arrived at the doorway looking flushed yet triumphant as she held a defeated Yahiko up by the collar. "Let's eat!" She chucked Yahiko onto the floor and she took a seat in front of Kenshin and next to Yutaro.  
  
"Itadakimasu!" Everyone chorused before chowing down on the mouth- watering food Kenshin prepared.  
  
"Oishii!" Kaoru said, placing the perfectly grilled fish in her mouth.  
  
"Glad you like it, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, biting into his own piece of fish.  
  
The two would've probably had a better, amiable conversation if the two boys next to them hadn't decided to have a chopstick fight over the last bit of tofu. It was the start of a messy dinner. Kenshin and Kaoru had to get at least ten more pairs of chopsticks as the others that the boys were fighting with got broken. Yahiko and Yutaro didn't allow the other to win in either a glaring or a food-fighting contest. Not knowing exactly how, but both suddenly resorted to a sake-drinking contest.  
  
"Where'd you get that sake?!" Kaoru yelled, but was totally ignored as both adolescents decided to chug down a small sake cup after another. By the time Kenshin snapped from his stupor and grabbed the jug of sake from the boys, Yahiko was passed out on the floor and Yutaro was hiccupping in a dazed manner.  
  
Kaoru slapped her forehead in annoyance. "Ne, Kenshin," Kaoru said into the suddenly silent kitchen. "I think you should be headed off back. I'll let Yahiko stay here tonight and I've got something strong to help him with the headache he's bound to have tomorrow."  
  
"Are you sure, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"This visit got a little out of hand, but it was fun," Kaoru said. "We'll be fine, Kenshin. Just go back before Ou-sama sends out search parties for you."  
  
"I doubt Shishou will do that, but I should at least help you clean the mess," Kenshin said, offering his help.  
  
"It's fine," Kaoru said. "It's not a big mess anyway."  
  
"That's an understatement, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, eyeing the disgusting mess left all over the table.  
  
"It'll be fine, Ouji-sama," Kaoru said, reverting back to his old, polite name. "It was nice of you to come and visit."  
  
Seeing he had no choice in the matter, Kenshin helped Kaoru move the now-fainted Yutaro and Yahiko into an empty guest room. "Oyasumi nasai, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, and Kaoru could've sworn he was going to kiss her before he left, but didn't.  
  
"Oyasumi, Kenshin," Kaoru mumbled more to herself than to anyone before closing the door behind his retreating figure. Kaoru shook her head as she counted off the things she had to get done before going to sleep. Informing Yutaro's grandfather where he was was one, cleaning the kitchen and getting some of the medicine for the boy's future headaches ready for tomorrow. "Let's get started," Kaoru grumbled before leaving the dojo and heading towards Yutaro's residence.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kenshin rode back to the palace in serene silence, going over the events of the day. He didn't communicate as much as he would've liked with Kaoru, but watching her go about her day was good enough. Kenshin sighed, content of the day's activities except for leaving the dojo a mess and making that stupid, attempted move at a kiss.  
  
Upon entering the palace, Kenshin braced himself for the ambush bound to be brought by Mei. Kenshin's prediction was corrected as he suddenly felt himself being choked by the familiar scent of overused western perfume.  
  
"Kenshin!" She squealed in his ear. "I missed you all day today! Where in the world did you go for so long? And didn't you go with that brat of a stable boy?" Mei asked, peering over his shoulder, looking for any sign of Yahiko.  
  
Not being able to think of a good enough lie, Kenshin had to stick to the truth and its consequences. "Yahiko and I went to a dojo to study another sword technique, Mei-dono."  
  
"And whose dojo have you gone to, may I ask?" Mei asked, hands on her hips and her lips tight. Someone obviously told her already, and she just wanted to hear it straight from Kenshin's mouth.  
  
"Damn Shishou," Kenshin growled under his breath. He probably thought it was some kind of humorous joke. "To Kaoru-dono's dojo," Kenshin replied.  
  
"To her again?" Mei yelled, following behind Kenshin's heels as he headed upstairs to his room.  
  
"Hai."  
  
"What is so damn special about her, Kenshin?" Mei asked.  
  
"Many things," Kenshin replied.  
  
"Name one," Mei challenged with a huff.  
  
"Spirit," Kenshin replied simply.  
  
"Ha! Spirit my ass!" Mei shouted. "And where's that brat anyway? At her place I suppose?"  
  
"Aa."  
  
"So I'm guessing you're going there again tomorrow to pick him up, aren't you? Slick, Kenshin, slick. Well this time, Kenshin, I'm coming along," Mei said in a demanding voice.  
  
"I don't think that's possible, Mei-dono," Kenshin said, trying to avoid the aggravation bubbling in his throat.  
  
"Why not?" Mei asked. "So that you two can google at each other behind my back? I don't think so! My decision is final! I am going!"  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: Eh~ Not a very fulfilling chapter, I'd say. Anyway! Since it's the vacation, hopefully I get another chapter done quicker. Thanks for reading and Happy Holidays. 


	10. The Visit 2

T.Anjel: I'm back whether you like it or not! And with another chapter too! I loved everyone's reviews! This chapter's for all you Mei-haters out there. I personally love her. ^^;; Thanks to XenoMark and Kasumi for editing.And I think that's all there is to say.  
  
Standard disclaimers Apply  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 10  
  
"This is absolutely disgusting!"  
  
"No one told you that you had to come, Mei-dono," Kenshin said, gritting his teeth together as to try to restrain himself from strangling her.  
  
"Must we walk on this disgustingly dirty road?" Mei asked, lifting her thousands of skirts off the ground as best she could. "Why can't the carriage take us to the damn dojo?"  
  
"It would be foolish to do such a thing," Kenshin replied heavily. He thought coming out a bit early that morning would keep Mei from following him, but his guess was wrong. She was up quite earlier than him to be exact; waiting for him at the front gate, fully dressed in her puffy, sky blue ensamble.  
  
"How much longer must we walk?" Mei complained.  
  
"Please stop complaining, Mei-dono. We will be at the dojo in a couple of minutes," Kenshin grumbled.  
  
Mei looked at if she was slapped in the face. "I have a right to complain if my feet are being abused by this ruthless ground and if the air smells of putrid sweat and animals."  
  
Kenshin was just about to retort back in his most polite and gentlemanly manner when the dojo came in sight. "Here we are," he said more to himself than to his companion.  
  
"Finally," Mei huffed.  
  
Before Kenshin was able to knock on the door, a familiar scream pierced the air.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin yelled, banging on the door. It wouldn't budge. The scream was replaced with frantic yells made by another person. "Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin yelled again, hoping to be heard over the sudden noise. Mei, on the other hand, rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.  
  
"What is that damned woman up to? She makes trouble wherever she goes, doesn't she?" Mei said with a snort.  
  
"Mei-dono," Kenshin threatened between grinding teeth. Before he could get anywhere near completing his threat, a wide-eyed Yahiko burst the door open.  
  
"Kenshin!" Yahiko exclaimed. "I thought I heard you!"  
  
"What's happening, Yahiko?" Kenshin asked, noticing Yahiko's ashen face and smoke rising from the area of the kitchen.  
  
"The kitchen went on fire and Kaoru and Yutaro are stuck inside!" Yahiko yelled frantically and ran after Kenshin who was already at a complete run towards the kitchen. "I tried to get them out, but there's no way in there!"  
  
"Kenshin!" Mei yelled from the doorway, but she was totally ignored by the man.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin yelled, feeling the heat from the flames beat mercilessly at his face.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru yelled, coughing as she did. Her hopes rose up as she held the head of an unconscious Yutaro close to her chest as not to have him burned. The fire consumed all four kitchen walls, and she had no place to run. "Stay awake, Kaoru," Kaoru demanded herself as she felt her head beginning to feel heavy with the smoke. "C'mon.Stay awake. Kenshin will come through. I know it." She slammed her tearing eyes shut and buried her head into Yutaro's neck.  
  
Kenshin, on the other hand, had no knowledge as how to put out a fire, which slowly decided to spread towards the other parts of the house. "Yahiko! Get water!" Kenshin demanded, and Yahiko sped off with amazing speed. Kenshin ran towards the nearest bedroom and found an amazingly large, thick blanket. He headed back to the flames and covered as much as he could with the blanket, muffling them down to nothing. He felt the flames nick his skin, but didn't feel them as he frantically killed off the fire as quickly as he could.  
  
Yahiko heaved buckets of water back and forth from a small well to try and help kill the flames. The fire, thankfully not all that quite big, was put out. Kaoru was in the middle of the kitchen, completely unconscious, and wrapping Yutaro with her body.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin said, rushing over to Kaoru and flipping her over in his arms. "Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin repeated, lightly tapping her cheek. She didn't move. "Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin said again, shaking her slightly. His deep, violet eyes filled with worry.  
  
"Yutaro!" Yahiko yelled, roughly shaking Yutaro's shoulders as the boy lay unconscious on the floor.  
  
"Stop shaking...me," Yutaro coughed out.  
  
"Thank Kami-sama," Yahiko said with relief.  
  
"Where's the nearest clinic, Yutaro?" Kenshin asked, still holding a limp Kaoru in his arms. She was breathing slowly, but the fact that she didn't wake worried him.  
  
"Near here," Yutaro said, trying to clear his lungs with large gasps of air.  
  
"Kenshin!" Mei said, covering her nose and mouth with a handkerchief as she walked up to the doorway of the burnt-down kitchen. "We've stayed here long enough! Let's go stable boy! Leave that wretched woman be! I can't stand this old, rundown dojo any longer!"  
  
"Shut your trap!" Yahiko yelled.  
  
Mei's eyes widened to surprised saucers. "What did you say to me, boy?" She growled.  
  
"I told you to shut up!" Yahiko yelled. "If you want to go back to the damn palace, go! No one is making you and your sorry ass stay here. No one wants you here either!"  
  
"Yahiko," Kenshin said under his breath, not quite disagreeing with the outspoken boy, but knowing all too well that more respect was to be paid to Mei.  
  
Mei fumed with anger and her face flushed livid red. "How dare you!" Mei screamed. If she knew the way back to the edge of town and to the carriage from the dojo, she probably would have stormed off in that direction. Unfortunately, that wasn't so. "I better see more respect coming out of that big mouth of yours, or I'm going to have you banned from the palace!" Mei threatened.  
  
"That isn't your decision to make," Yahiko growled.  
  
"I could convince Hiko-sama at the snap of a finger," Mei said with overconfidence.  
  
"I'd like to see you try," Yahiko challenged. He turned his attention to Kaoru who began to cough violently.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin said, bringing her closer to his chest and picking her off the floor. "Where's the clinic, Yutaro?" Kenshin asked frantically.  
  
"I.," Kaoru wheezed. "I'm.fine." Kaoru began another round of choked coughs.  
  
"No you're not, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said.  
  
Kaoru grabbed onto Kenshin's shirt and buried her head into his chest to prevent herself from wincing from the pain in her own chest. "Water," Kaoru whispered.  
  
"Yahiko."  
  
"Gotcha," Yahiko said before Kenshin finished his request and rushed off to get some water from the well.  
  
Kenshin brought Kaoru to her room and laid her down on her futon. "Wait a second," he said and ran to get Yutaro to the same room and laid him on another futon. "How are you feeling, Yutaro?"  
  
"I'm okay," Yutaro said, sitting up and looked over at Kaoru who was breathing heavily. "Thanks to Kaoru-san," he added.  
  
"I have water, Kenshin," Yahiko announced as he tripped into the room with two overflowing cups of water.  
  
Kenshin took both cups and handed one to Yutaro. "Drink," Kenshin ordered gently, bringing Kaoru up and helping her swallow the cold liquid.  
  
"Arigato," Kaoru whispered, sighing with relief and leaning her head against Kenshin as she recollected herself. Her throat burned with the fume she inhaled and she felt the effects of small burns beginning on her skin.  
  
"You should go to sleep," Kenshin said, too aware of Mei's presence at the doorway of the room, glaring mercilessly at Kaoru.  
  
"I'm fine," Kaoru said. "How's Yutaro? Yahiko?"  
  
"We're fine, Kaoru," Yahiko reassured. "And.I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?" Kaoru asked, refusing to lay back down no matter how much Kenshin persisted.  
  
"You got caught in the fire 'cause of me," Yahiko said, hanging his head down in shame.  
  
"How is that so?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Yutaro and I tried to make breakfast to apologize for our behavior last night while you cleaned the dojo. I accidentally started a fire and wasn't able to put it out on time before it spread. You jumped in to save us, pushed me out of the kitchen and you and Yutaro were stuck there before I knew it," Yahiko explained briefly. "Gomen."  
  
"It wasn't your fault," Kaoru said, crawling over to Yahiko and embracing his boyish figure in a hug.  
  
"You could've died!" Yahiko said, crying into Kaoru's chest. "You and Yutaro could've died!"  
  
"But we didn't," Kaoru said, tightening her hold on Yahiko. "We're safe thanks to you and Kenhsin. It wasn't your fault at all, Yahiko. Shh.Shhh.Don't cry," Kaoru whispered, rocking back and forth to sooth Yahiko of his shaken nerves. "If anything, Yutaro and I should be thanking you, Yahiko."  
  
Yahiko shook his head, refusing to look up and meet Kaoru's eyes.  
  
"She would be the perfect mother," Kenshin thought, watching Kaoru console Yahiko of his self-guilt.  
  
"Yahiko.," Kaoru said, lifting his head to face her. "I chose to go in there and save you and Yutaro. Why are you taking all my credit?"  
  
"Ah.I'm not!" Yahiko said, wiping away his embarrassing tears hastily.  
  
"Then I don't want to hear another word about you at fault for the situation," Kaoru demanded. "Understood?" She stifled a cough as not to worry anyone.  
  
Yahiko nodded.  
  
"I think we should go to the Akabeko for breakfast, ne?" Kaoru suggested with a smile.  
  
"Are you sure, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked with worry.  
  
"You worry too much, Kenshin!" Kaoru said. "I feel perfectly fine," Kaoru lied with a broad smile. "I'm starving! Let's get going!" She stood up shakily on her feet. "Ara? Mei?" Kaoru said as she just noticed the blonde woman sulking at the doorway.  
  
"Yes, Kamiya. Surprised to see me?" Mei retorted. "Kenshin, the stable boy and I are headed out anyway. So you and the other boy could go eat breakfast together in peace."  
  
"I'm not going," Yahiko said. "Especially with a."  
  
Kaoru clamped her hand over his mouth, much wishing she didn't. "I'm probably going to need Yahiko's help with the mess in the kitchen anyway. No one is forcing you to stay, and Kenshin.," Kaoru said, turning over to the man. ".can decide whether he would like to stay or leave, but I do believe you only came to pick up Yahiko and leave and nothing more. There must be more pressing matters to attend to back at the palace. I mean, especially for some influential and powerful woman such as yourself."  
  
"That's right," Mei said, sticking her nose in the air, totally oblivious to the sarcastic insult Kaoru implied. "Kenshin, let's leave."  
  
With no hesitance at all, Kenshin said, "I prefer to stay."  
  
"Nani?" Mei asked.  
  
"I don't think Kaoru-dono is in the perfect condition she claims to be," Kenshin said, glancing over at Kaoru. "Am I right?"  
  
"Don't stay because of me," Kaoru said under her breath so only she and Kenshin could hear.  
  
'I would do anything for you,' Kenshin thought, wishing he had the guts to say it out loud to her. "It's no problem, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin replied in the same low tone.  
  
"If Kenshin stays, so will I. I'd rather not have him be stuck in this dump with a lowly woman like you all alone and with that sorry excuse of a stable boy," Mei snapped, angry at Kenshin with his decision. Her retort was quickly replied back with a hard, resounding slap. Mei's body nearly fell backward from the restrained force that hit her. "You bitch!" Mei gasped, caressing her swollen cheek and regaining her posture.  
  
"There is only a certain amount of arrogance I can stand coming from you," Kaoru growled darkly, forcing her legs not to give out from under her. "I request that you leave my residence at once before I decide to punch you instead."  
  
Mei instantly backed away slowly, glaring at Kaoru as she did so. "You better watch your back, Kamiya," Mei said. "I have more power in this kingdom than you think."  
  
"I'll grovel at your feet if that's so," Kaoru spat.  
  
"Kenshin, let's go," Mei demanded.  
  
"I will head off towards the palace when Kaoru-dono is feeling better, Mei-dono," Kenshin said quietly, not helping but smirk inside at Mei's furious expression.  
  
"How am I supposed to find my way back, Kenshin?" Mei shrieked.  
  
"Continually go westward, and you'll find the carriage soon enough," Kenshin explained vaguely.  
  
"Get out," Kaoru snarled before Mei could complain any more.  
  
Mei sneered at Kaoru before strutting away from the dojo. Once Mei slammed the door shut, Kaoru sighed and collapsed onto the floor.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin cried, bringing her over to the futon.  
  
"I'm fine, Kenshin," Kaoru said, resting her hand on his shoulder. "Really. She just gets on my nerves."  
  
"That's an understatement," Yahiko pipped.  
  
"Does she really have the authority to do anything in this kingdom?" Yutaro questioned, still sitting on his futon, empty cup in hand.  
  
"Iie," Kenshin answered.  
  
"She just wishes that she does," Kaoru added, stretching a cramped arm around in circles.  
  
"How many classes do you have today, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"Just one, later today," Kaoru informed. "And don't worry, I'm not going to strain myself. Thanks for caring," Kaoru said with a smile.  
  
"Aa.," Kenshin replied, trying to hide his blush with his bangs.  
  
"Ewww!" Yahiko yelled, making barfing noises. "Busu and Kenshin are going to be making out before you know it!"  
  
Kaoru and Kenshin turned a bright shade of red before Kaoru chucked a pillow at Yahiko's face.  
  
"Oy!" Yahiko said, rubbing his face. Yutaro stifled a laugh, only too glad that the air in the room returned to its original, relaxed state.  
  
"Let's go to the Akabeko, ne?" Kaoru suggested, finding the uplifting mood to be in her favor.  
  
"I don't think it's a good idea for you to be doing strenuous activities today, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said worriedly.  
  
"Maa maa, Kenshin!" Kaoru said. "The fresh air and walk will probably do me some good. Walking and eating are not strenuous activities! I'm starving anyway."  
  
Yahiko and Yutaro led the way out of the room. Kenshin helped Kaoru stand and allowed her to use him as support. She was obviously still feeling weak and strained but didn't want Yahiko and Yutaro to worry. "I suppose the most I can do is to make sure she doesn't overwork herself," Kenshin thought, wrapping an arm around her waist to keep her steady.  
  
Kaoru blushed as Kenshin's hand enfolded around her slender waist and kept it there. They exited the dojo, heading towards the Akabeko. Yahiko and Yutaro amiably bantered about who was better with the sword, trying to outsmart each other with their immature words of wisdom.  
  
"How are you feeling, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked.  
  
"A little choked, but fine," Kaoru answered.  
  
"I apologize for Mei-dono's behavior," Kenshin said. "She had no right to say what she said."  
  
"You have nothing to apologize for," Kaoru replied. "You're not her guardian of any sort."  
  
"Aa.but."  
  
"No buts," Kaoru said. She decided to change the subject. "How is the wife-picking going?"  
  
"Not quite well," Kenshin admitted.  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"Half the women don't want to be there, some already have men back at home but just wasn't married to them, and others I suppose you would say wouldn't be quite fit to be queen," Kenshin said.  
  
"Do any of them fit for you personally?" Kaoru asked curiously.  
  
"Whoever would be a good queen would fit me," Kenshin replied.  
  
"Liar," Kaoru teased under her breath.  
  
"How so?"  
  
"There can be a woman you could fall in love with, but she may not be quite applicable to become a queen, ne?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"Aa.," Kenshin replied vaguely. "I suppose so."  
  
"So if there was such a person," Kaoru said with a wave of an arm. "What would you do?"  
  
"I would ask her to wed me," Kenshin replied.  
  
"Even if she would be a bad queen?" Kaoru inquired.  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Not to be pessimistic, but what if she didn't want to wed you?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"I don't know, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said, contemplating on the question.  
  
"Ah! We're here!" Kaoru announced, entering the restaurant, totally forgetting the previous question she just asked.  
  
"It's strangely busy in here," Yutaro commented, looking around the restaurant and dodging a waiter who zipped across the restaurant with a tray full of sake jars. "Someone's definitely not having a good day."  
  
"I can only guess who," Kaoru groaned as she recognized the shrill voice that shrieked orders around to every waiter and waitress in sight. Before the group was able to turn around and exit the restaurant in haste, Mei spotted them. "She must be a really weak drinker," Kaoru said to herself knowing that Mei could only have been at the Akabeko for a short amount of time. "To think that she's already drunk."  
  
"I knew you'd come here, you bitch!" Mei yelled, pointing her gloved finger at Kaoru. "Get your hands off of my man!" Her words were slurred and her eyes were unfocused as she slowly sauntered over to Kaoru. "What are you going to do now, Kamiya? Kick me out of the restaurant? I can take you on any day!"  
  
"Please calm down, Mei-dono," Kenshin said to the flushed and raging Mei.  
  
"No Kenshin! I won't calm down!" Mei screamed, pulling frantically at her hair. "I don't get it! I don't get it! What's so special about her that you fall for her instantly? What is it that she has that I don't? Answer me!!"  
  
"Mei-dono."  
  
"Kenshin!" Mei yelled. "Kenshin! Kenshin! Ever since I laid eyes on you, my life was based on my love for you! I gave you everything, Kenshin! Everything! Yet you still left, declining my offer of my love and desire for you! I come back to try and win your heart, but you're googling over some low-class excuse for a woman!"  
  
Kaoru inwardly groaned as Mei's alcoholic breath was crowding into her nostrils. If only she could give a nice, hard punch to Mei's jaw. "Is there any way you could knock her out, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked as Mei bantered on and on about Kaoru's so-called worthlessness. "I would gladly do it myself, but it probably won't be pretty."  
  
"I'm not sure if I should," Kenshin said.  
  
"If you don't, I swear I will," Yahiko growled, loud enough to be heard over Mei's constant screeching. Yutaro only nodded in agreement.  
  
"Hai hai," Kenshin mumbled before gently letting go of Kaoru's form and walking over to Mei who was dancing with a sake jug. "Wouldn't Shishou love to see this?" Kenshin thought to himself.  
  
"Kenshin," Mei purred as she recognized Kenshin's blurry form making his way towards her. "Are you here to apolo."  
  
Kenshin knocked her out with a quick motion of his hand to her neck, and caught her as she fell. "I'm sorry, Mei-dono," Kenshin said to her unconscious form. "I apologize for the disturbance," Kenshin said to all the people in the restaurant. "I probably should better be off, Kaoru- dono," Kenshin told Kaoru, shifting Mei's weight in his arms. "I will come back to help clean up the kitchen though. It's just probably a better idea for Mei-dono to get back to the palace."  
  
Kaoru nodded, using Yahiko as a support for her weakened form. "You don't have to come back. It'll just be a burden. I've got Yahiko to help out, and I'll be better in at least a day. Good day, Kenshin."  
  
Knowing all too well that Kaoru wasn't leaving any room for arguments, Kenshin gave a small bow before leaving the Akabeko and heading to where their carriage waited.  
  
"Anyone still hungry?" Kaoru asked, taking a seat at a booth. "Let's order."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: A little Mei beating there for you. I'm contemplating on whether to keep her in the story or not. You tell me. A little vague at the fire scene, but what the hey. Review onegai! 


	11. The Decision

T.Anjel: Hehe.took a little while to get this chapter out, but it's here. Thanks to everyone who left a review! MwaH! I love ya'll. And thanks to XenoMark and Kasumi-san for editing and whatnot.  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 11  
  
"Are you sure you can work, Kaoru?" Yahiko asked worriedly, sweeping up piles of ash along the kitchen floor.  
  
"Daijobu!" Kaoru reassured. "Just get cleaning."  
  
After a fair breakfast at the Akabeko, Kaoru, Yutaro and Yahiko went back to the dojo to clean up the kitchen and restore it to the best of their abilities. It was a horrible, dirty mess to clean up where layers of ash covered the floor and the walls were streaked with black.  
  
"What do you want me to do with this, Kaoru-san?" Yutaro asked, lifting a half-burnt cutting board.  
  
"Throw it out," Kaoru replied and resumed with cleaning up the floor. She felt weary and worn-out from the morning events, but she kept herself on her feet and sweeping.  
  
"Kaoru-san! You don't look to well. Are you sure you're okay?" Yutaro asked, noticing Kaoru slightly stumble as she swept a small pile of ashes into a bag.  
  
"I'm fine," Kaoru mumbled, beginning to feel a weird sensation of the floor spinning underneath her feet. The kitchen began to blur into a haze, and Kaoru suddenly thought her head weighed too much for her neck to hold up. She tripped over her feet and felt herself fall slowly towards the ground.  
  
"Kaoru!" Kaoru heard Yahiko yell, but it her name seemed muddled and unclear to her ears.  
  
Kaoru dazedly braced herself for a hard, uncomfortable fall but didn't feel anything. "Ara?" She mumbled to herself, not able to fully comprehend with her clouded brain what had softened her fall. She only saw a haze of brown kitchen walls and a few blurs of other colors she didn't seem to be able to recognize.  
  
"Who." Kaoru attempted to say, but only found her words to sound like "mu". She heard someone talking to her, but didn't understand. "I'm tired," Kaoru heard herself whisper, but wondered if the kids understood before drifting off into an exhausted sleep.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaoru woke up that night. She found herself laying in her futon dressed sloppily in her sleeping yukata. She didn't even want to know who dared change her while she was totally out of it. After stretching her stiff muscles, Kaoru tightened her yukata and slid open her shoji. "Kenshin?" Kaoru said in surprise, noticing a slumped figure sitting next to her door.  
  
Kenshin looked up and smiled. "You're awake, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Much better, thank you," Kaoru answered. "But.what are you doing here?" She covered her mouth immediately with her hands, noticing how rude she sounded. "I didn't mean."  
  
"I dropped Mei-dono at the carriage," Kenshin said, cutting her apology off. "And I knew you weren't feeling at your best and that the kitchen was a mess, so I came right back and caught you just as you fell."  
  
"Ah." was Kaoru's only reply.  
  
Kenshin patted the space next to him, signaling for Kaoru to sit down. She did so, propping herself up against the wall.  
  
"I can't believe I slept for this long," Kaoru murmured.  
  
"It was probably the best for you," Kenshin commented. "Yahiko, Yutaro and I taught the your class today.mostly on some basic defense, and we cleaned up the majority of the kitchen. What's left is most of the repairs and damage done, but I'll make sure to get it fixed for you."  
  
"You don't have to."  
  
"But I will."  
  
Kaoru smiled, a strange force tugging at the corners of her mouth. "Ariagto, Kenshin."  
  
"It wasn't a problem," Kenshin replied quietly.  
  
"Where are Yutaro and Yahiko?" Kaoru asked after a while.  
  
"Yutaro went home, and Yahiko decided to stay overnight in one of the guest rooms," Kenshin replied.  
  
"Why aren't you asleep?"  
  
"I wasn't sleepy."  
  
A quiet silence commenced, only the sound of crickets chirping filling the space. Kaoru leaned her head back and closed her eyes, feeling a cool breeze tickle her face. She enjoyed the compatible silence she shared with Kenshin. She watched him from the corner of her eye stare aimlessly at the sky filtered with stars and a full moon.  
  
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Kaoru asked quietly as not to disturb the stars' peace.  
  
"Aa.it is," Kenshin replied.  
  
"My father would always tell me that the stars were the souls of my ancestors and that I could talk to them whenever I felt alone or scared," Kaoru said with a smile. "I've been doing a lot of that lately," Kaoru added under her breath, not knowing that Kenshin heard.  
  
"And where is your father now?" Kenshin asked, hoping it wasn't too much of an inappropriate question.  
  
"He's watching me from there," Kaoru answered, pointing at the sky.  
  
"I'm sorry," Kenshin said.  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "You have nothing to be sorry about.unless you're the one who killed him."  
  
Kenshin longed to ask who murdered Kaoru's father to seek revenge for Kaoru's unhappiness, but held his tongue.  
  
"You can ask," Kaoru said with a small smile. "It won't bother me to tell you."  
  
"What are you talking about?" Kenshin asked foolishly.  
  
"You know very well what I'm talking about," Kaoru said with huff.  
  
Kenshin stayed silent.  
  
"My parents died when I seven," Kaoru said. "I don't remember much of what happened, but I remember all too clearly who killed my father." Kaoru paused, watching a small star comfort her rising memories. "He was the ugliest prince I've ever seen, shattering my dreams of a charming prince on a white horse. He was old with oily hair and mustache.I remember he smelled of old sake and smoke. He killed my father for a reason I was not informed of because of my youth.  
  
"My mother died days later. She was already ill, and my father's death caused her depression. I moved here with a good friend of my father's who was a swordsman too. He taught me his style and I continued to practice the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu. Shoho-san died three years ago, and I took over his dojo." Kaoru had her chin propped up against her folded knees and couldn't help let her tears fall down her cheeks. "I'm sorry," she mumbled, hastily wiping her tears from her face. "Who am I to tell you about my stupid life story. You never asked."  
  
Kaoru was responded with a tight hug. "I'm glad you told me, Kaoru- dono," Kenshin whispered into her ear. "Let the tears you held for years fall."  
  
Kaoru buried her head in the crook of Kenshin's neck and did as she was told. She heard her mother's voice ring in her ears; the last words her mother ever spoke: "Stay strong, Kaoru-chan. Never live your life in vain as I have mine, ne?"  
  
"Crying doesn't make one weak, Kaoru-dono. If anything, it makes one stronger," Kenshin said, rubbing Kaoru's trembling back.  
  
She would've believed that Kenshin could read minds if she hadn't noticed that she whispered the words out loud. Her tears trickled from her eyes, down her face and wetting Kenshin's neck.  
  
Kenshin held Kaoru in his arms until he was sure she was calm and stopped crying. Reluctantly, he let go.  
  
"I feel so foolish," Kaoru whispered, wiping the remaining tears from her eyes.  
  
"Well, you're not," Kenshin argued.  
  
Kaoru pouted and leaned back against the wall. After a short pause, she said, "I haven't told anyone about my parents before.and I'm glad I told you, Kenshin."  
  
"Aa.thank you."  
  
"For what?"  
  
"Trusting me," Kenshin replied. "For being able to talk to me."  
  
"You're easy to open up to," Kaoru said quickly, feeling blood rush to her face as she did so.  
  
"Many think I'm not."  
  
"Stop being modest," Kaoru teased.  
  
"I'm not!"  
  
"Che," Kaoru said with a smirk. "Shouldn't you get back to the palace? People will begin to worry."  
  
"I assure you, they won't," Kenshin replied in a mock tone. Kaoru rolled her eyes. "What do you think Mei will do once she's conscious again?"  
  
Kenshin shrugged. "After humiliating herself here, I would rightfully think that she would run off without a word."  
  
Kaoru laughed, but quickly covered it as not to wake up Yahiko. "Poor thing." And she tsked. "So now who are you going to wed?"  
  
"Are you implying that I was going to marry Mei-dono from the start?" Kenshin inquired with a visible twitch in his left eye.  
  
"Well, who else were you going to marry?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"I wanted to marry someone.but she's out of my reach," Kenshin replied casually.  
  
Kaoru felt her heart tighten at the mention of another girl, but bit her lower lip and smiled. "Wanted? Not want?"  
  
"Well.I thought if I did the right things, I would have a slight chance with her. But I know that it won't happen any day soon. Her heart is too far and free, and I would only ruin her life if I were to keep her in a palace to sit and sip tea," Kenshin replied softly, staring straight at Kaoru as he did so.  
  
Kaoru thanked the gods for sending a cool breeze in her direction as she felt a hot blush rise on her cheeks. "You know.Kenshin, you should tell her even if she's going to slap you back in the face," Kaoru said truthfully, totally oblivious to the fact that the woman Kenshin spoke was herself.  
  
"That's harsh, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said with a wince at the vision of Kaoru smacking him in the face.  
  
"There will always be the possibility that she won't turn you down, you know," Kaoru said, waggling her finger at him. "You've got to take the chance."  
  
Kenshin smiled but shook his head in reply. "I would, but if I take recent events into account, I think I would only be hurting her than anything."  
  
"Mou! You're such a pessimist! Who wouldn't want to marry you?" Kaoru asked. "You're a total gentleman!"  
  
Kenshin chuckled and lightly shook his head again. "Thank you for your support, Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Anytime," Kaoru said. "So you're really not going to ask her, are you?" Kenshin shook his head. "No matter how I think about it, I don't think it will do her any good. I'm being too selfish."  
  
"Give me a break, Kenshin," Kaoru said, laughing and smacking Kenshin at the same time as she did. "There's no way you would be selfish in any way."  
  
"No matter how I look at it, I think I'm being as selfish as anybody else," Kenshin argued, rubbing the sore spot on his head Kaoru just hit.  
  
"You're so stubborn," Kaoru said, pouting and folding her arms.  
  
"Not as much as you," Kenshin replied.  
  
"Mou! Kenshin!" Kaoru yelled, but low enough as not to wake the sleeping Yahiko.  
  
Kenshin only laughed in response. "You should stop by the palace sometime, Kaoru-dono," Kenshin said after Kaoru decided to stop yelling and throttling his poor neck.  
  
"Why?" Kaoru challenged.  
  
"You have friends there you miss you," Kenshin said. "Misao-dono.Tae- dono.Sae-dono.Genzai-sensei.Sanosuke.Megumi-dono."  
  
"Megumi?" Kaoru interrupted.  
  
Kenshin nodded. "You two had your own share of bickers and fights, ne?"  
  
Kaoru couldn't help laugh at remembering the egotistical, sly woman. "We'll see.if I have time after I fix up the kitchen, I'll see if I can go back to the palace."  
  
Kenshin nodded in approval and stood up to stretch. "You should get back to sleep, Kaoru-dono."  
  
Kaoru nodded. "Are you staying overnight?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"No, I've got to get back," Kenshin replied. "I'll come to get Yahiko some other time, probably in a couple of days. I hope he's not a bother."  
  
"Of course not!" Kaoru said. "You should get back and sleep then."  
  
Kenshin nodded. "Aa.I will. Oyasumi-nasai, Kaoru-dono."  
  
"Oyasumi," Kaoru replied after walking him to the dojo door and greeting him out. She gave a contented sigh and had another round of a deep, peaceful slumber. ~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kenshin walked back to through the quiet town, hearing only the muted crunching of sand and dirt underneath his shoes. As he walked down the deserted road, Kenshin let out a soft sigh, thinking. He was arguing with himself about the events of the near future; to be specific, one particular event plagued his mind. His eyes changed rapidly from a violet to amber, but no one would've noticed it in the dark.  
  
Finally, at arriving to his carriage, Kenshin made one clear decision: "I will not ask Kaoru-dono to wed me."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~ T.Anjel: What a way to end it, Kenshin! Isn't it great?! ::unskillfully tries to dodge rotten vegetables:: And who knows how long it'll take for me to get out the next chapter? Hehe.bye! 


	12. The Return

T.Anjel: Sorry for the late update~ ^^;; I've got no excuses. I'm just lazy. Hehe. Of course I have to thank everyone for being patient with me and reviewing all the same~ I love you all! And especially Kasumi-san and XenoMark-san for editing the chapter. Enjoy while you can! Thank you!  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply  
  
To Love the Hated - Chapter 12  
  
Three were eliminated. Three were left. The decisions were hard to make, and Kenshin hated making them. Months flew by without anyone's consent, and before he knew it, Kenshin found only three remaining women in the dining room for breakfast one morning. As usual, breakfast was slow and dragged. The women conversed quietly and amiably with one another, already used to the silent prince.  
  
Kenshin was feeling uneasy. He already knew the woman he was to pick to be his future bride. Her name was Yuri and she wasn't all that bad looking. He knew she made strong decisions made best for the sake of others and that she didn't have any lover waiting for her back at home. The other two that were left were Megumi and a quiet woman who never said a word, but Kenshin barely gave them any thought of possible marraige.  
  
"Ou-sama," Megumi said, not having to strain her voice in the slightest to be heard above the quiet chatter.  
  
Hiko looked up in response.  
  
"May I be excused for the day?" Megumi asked sweetly.  
  
Hiko didn't question her inquiry but gave a small wave of his hand in response. "Just be back by sundown."  
  
Megumi nodded and gave a small bow in thanks, doing it all in one graceful movement. With one last glance at a solemn-looking Kenshin, Megumi walked away from the breakfast room with long strides. She passed guards and marble hallways, consciously knowing exactly where she was headed.  
  
"Sanosuke," she said, making sure her voice was heard by the gangly guard.  
  
"Oi! Kitsune! I knew you couldn't resist me," Sano said with a cocky grin.  
  
"I don't want to hear it from you, Tori-atama," Megumi said, unable to control the small smile taking control of her lips. "Do me a favor, will you?"  
  
"Depends on what it is," Sanosuke said, finding Megumi's suddenly serious tone something he shouldn't play with.  
  
"Take me to the tanuki's place," Megumi demanded.  
  
"Jou-chan's dojo?" Sano asked, clarifying Megumi's stern request. "I've never taken Kenshin there. Just the edge of the town."  
  
"Then take me there," Megumi said with an impatient wave of her hand.  
  
"It'll cost you, Kitsune," Sano drawled, sticking a fishbone from his pocket and straight between his teeth. "I can't just walk out on duty to ride a pretty lady down a hill."  
  
"Then I'll ask someone else," Megumi said, flicking her hair of her shoulder and walking towards another guard, swaying her hips in an exaggerated motion as she did so.  
  
"Oi! Kitsune!" Sano called, quickly outrunning her and putting himself between her target guard and herself. "Let's go to Jou-chan's place," Sano said, wrapping his arm around Megumi's shoulders and steering her away from the other guard.  
  
"Hands, Tori atama," Megumi growled with a smile.  
  
"Calm down, Kitsune!" Sano said, leading the woman to the stables. "So what are you planning to do at Jou-chan's place? Didn't think you liked her that much."  
  
Megumi rolled her eyes. "It's business, baka," she said vaguely. "How fast can you get me there?"  
  
"Pretty fast," Sano said with confidence surging in his voice.  
  
"Good," Megumi snapped, seeing Yahiko come over to the two as they entered the stable area.  
  
"I thought you were at Jou-chan's place, Yahiko," Sano said, saddling up a brown horse.  
  
"I've got stable duty to do," Yahiko growled, unwillingly helping the taller man saddle up the horse.  
  
"She kicked you out, didn't she?" Sano laughed.  
  
"No," Yahiko replied, sticking his tongue out. "I'm going back tomorrow. I just wanted to check up on the horses."  
  
"Sure. Anyway, see you Yahiko-chan," Sano said with a wave, helping Megumi on the horse and jumping on behind her.  
  
"Don't call me CHAN!" Yahiko yelled as the two galloped to the front with amazing speed.  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Mou!" Kaoru growled, throwing her burnt breakfast away. It was worse than usual, and she was constantly having an unsettling feeling flutter about her stomach. "What's wrong with me today?" Kaoru said, stomping her feet on the floor like a child would if she didn't get what she wanted.  
  
But she already knew the answer to her question. She knew exactly what bothered her and why. It was yesterday when she told Yahiko to go with Kenshin after his usual weekly visit. It was yesterday when Kenshin told her that he was going to marry some woman named Yuri. "She'll make a great queen," Kenshin said, his voice falsely displayed as one being happy.  
  
"Congratulations," Kaoru managed to say, forcing the corners of her lips to go upward. "I hope you two will be happy together."  
  
Kenshin still had the news to break to everyone, and Kaoru didn't know if she should've felt special that she was the first to know. "He's going to tell everyone today," Kaoru thought. "It's too late for you Kaoru. Stop being such a baka. You should be happy for him."  
  
Kaoru sighed. "My worries should be with the dojo. Not for my non- existent love life." Her thoughts were interrupted when she heard a loud knock bang on her door. She screamed at the sudden interruption, feeling her heart pace up at the fright. "You're paranoid, Kaoru," she berated herself as she rushed over to the front door on half-worn sandals. She hefted one of the large wooden door open, only to reveal Megumi and Sano standing next to a horse.  
  
"You know how hard it was to find this place, Jou-chan?" Sano grumbled, walking inside after Megumi.  
  
"With your sense of direction, I bet it was nearly impossible," Kaoru teased.  
  
"Oi! That's harsh, Jou-chan!" Sano yelled.  
  
"But what brings you here?" Kaoru asked, directing her question more at Megumi than Sano. She never would've expected a visit from the fox. "Tea?"  
  
"Yes," Megumi replied to the quick offer. "I came to talk."  
  
"Uh.sure," Kaoru said, still finding the sudden visit strange. She led the two guests to the spacious guest room and sat them down. "I'll be right back," she said, scuttling to the kitchen to prepare the tea. As she boiled the water, Kaoru felt the uneasy feeling in her stomach return. Megumi's visit was unsettling and definitely weird when it came to dojo visits. "What could possibly drive that woman out of the riches of the palace to her dojo? To talk about what?" Her thoughts were interrupted again, but this time with the boiling water sputtering and threatening to burst from the pot. "Ah!" Kaoru yelped, moving the pot from the small fire and preparing the tea.  
  
Kaoru balanced the pot and three small cups on a tray and wobbled over to the guest room where Megumi and Sanosuke patiently waited. "Sorry for making you wait," Kaoru mumbled, pouring the tea and serving it to both people and then to herself.  
  
There was a certain tension and stiffness in the air Kaoru could sense drifting around Megumi. "Is something wrong?" Kaoru timidly asked, finding the woman's usual cocky smile to be replaced with a stiff expression.  
  
"I suspect Ken-san has already told you?" Megumi asked, keeping her sharp eyes glued to every twitch and movement made by Kaoru as she drank her tea with distaste.  
  
Kaoru inwardly flinched at Kenshin's mention but hoped it didn't show. "Told me about what?"  
  
Megumi flicked her hair over her shoulder, looking annoyed at the slow progress of the conversation. "Tanuki, I know you know that he has made a decision. And you know perfectly well that his decision isn't you."  
  
Kaoru looked away, holding her cup of tea on her lap, not saying a word. "I don't belong in a palace, Megumi-san," Kaoru said. "He'll be happy with whoever he chooses."  
  
"You're more of a baka than I thought," Megumi said curtly, finding that Kaoru stared straight back into her face, questioning her latest statement. Megumi took her time as she finished her cup of tea and slammed it down on the tray. "Stop being so selfish," she said, her voice low that even Sano had to strain to hear the woman.  
  
"I'm not," Kaoru said, feeling her eyes brim with tears. "Kenshin's heart already belongs to someone else!"  
  
"And who would that be?" Megumi asked, disbelieving the fact that Kaoru didn't already know.  
  
"He never told me!" Kaoru said, her volume increasing as she spoke.  
  
"Has it ever crossed your mind that it was you, baka?" Megumi asked, only to find shock written all over the girl's face. "How naïve," Megumi thought.  
  
"Wha.no! He was telling me all ab."  
  
"It's you, tanuki! Get is in your head! You hold his heart in your hands," Megumi said, her voice stern and leaving no room for arguments. "I've watched him for too long not to know, and I came over here to tell you to stop crushing the heart that you claim to love."  
  
"Crushing.what.I." Kaoru stuttered, not able to comprehend Megumi's speedy words spoken with her sharp tongue.  
  
"You know that today is the day he is going to announce his future wife and get married," Megumi said, her voice softening slightly. "Take Sano's horse and go before it's too late."  
  
Kaoru took a minute to digest Megumi's words and shook her head slowly. "I can't. It's a wasted effort, don't you see? Even if what you say is true, I'm not suitable to be the queen and his wife. I'm a mere shihondai! I teach children to fig."  
  
Megumi leaned over and slapped Kaoru straight across the face. It wasn't hard as to where Kaoru's face bruised, but it was hard enough to give her brain a jolt.  
  
"I told you from the beginning that you're being selfish. You're doing it again, Tanuki. Face the possibility of rejection. This is the only chance you have," Megumi said, and her face softened, finding herself to be too harsh on the girl. "Do this for Ken-san and for the woman Ken- san has chosen as his bride. I doubt she wants to marry some prince she doesn't know."  
  
"Just do as the woman says, Jou-chan," Sano said, finding yet another fishbone in his pocket and sticking it in his mouth. "There's no way Kenshin's gonna say 'no' to you."  
  
Kaoru gnawed on her lower lip, staring at her cold cup of tea. Their offer was tempting, and it took every bit of will power for her not to jump up and ride the horse all the way up to the palace. "I love Kenshin. There is no doubt about it," Kaoru thought.  
  
"Then what's stopping you from going back?" a voice in her head asked.  
  
"I don't know," Kaoru replied.  
  
"Then go! For crying out loud!" the voice yelled, sounding irritated at Kaoru's lack of movement.  
  
In one sudden movement, Kaoru abrubtly stood up and ran out of the room, spilling her tea all over the floor as she did so.  
  
"Good luck, Tanuki," Megumi said as she saw the retreating form run out through the front doors and fling herself over Sano's horse.  
  
"She'll do fine," Sano grumbled with a smile, picking up Kaoru's fallen teacup. "Let's just hope Kenshin doesn't screw it up."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Gomen nasai!!" Kaoru yelled quickly as she led the horse straight through the crowded roads of the town. She attempted to jump over the people and small markets, but she couldn't help in knocking down one or five.  
  
"Kaoru-san!" Kaoru heard someone yell as she leaped over an old woman's fruit stand. Kaoru didn't have time to apologize. She rode Sano's horse with amazing speed, as a tight feeling in her chest wouldn't allow her to slow down. She was nervous, excited and scared at the prospect of going to see Kenshin. It wasn't as if she hadn't just seen him the day before, but it was for another reason. A totally different reason.  
  
The hooves of the horse were a steady rhythm to her ears, soothing her quickening heart. She was already at the edge of town and ascending the long hill towards the well-known palace. "Kenshin.wait for me," Kaoru murmured, leaning forward on the galloping horse in hopes of speeding it up even more. Kaoru's right hand grabbed a tuft of the horse's flying mane, and the other hand patted its strained neck. "You're doing great.eto.Sano's horse," Kaoru said, attempting to encourage the horse with a mouthful of rushing air. It ended up being quite the difficult task.  
  
Kaoru squinted through the piercing wind, and through her blurred vision, she saw that she was nearly there. "Great job!" Kaoru choked out, her mouth extremely dry. She jumped off the horse, her knees immediately buckling from under her at the sudden pressure her weight pressed on her legs. She gently pounded her legs with her fists, trying to get blood circulating through. When she felt she had enough strength, Kaoru dashed through the strangely open front gates and down the long walkway towards the front doors.  
  
"C'mon Kaoru!" Kaoru yelled at herself, feeling her muscles tighten at the sudden strenuous movement. Her sandaled feet padded softly against the cobblestone of the road until she finally reached the large front doors. Four heavily armed guards stood in front of the doors, looking bored and careless as they stood with the weapons hanging loosely by their sides. "I." Before Kaoru could finish, they opened the door for her, remembering her face from months back. "Thank you," she said quickly as she rushed into the familiar lobby.  
  
Without a moment's hesitation, Kaoru stumbled onward towards a marble stairway in search of a certain fool of a prince. "I'll search every room in this damn palace if I have to," Kaoru grumbled as she flung the first door opened with a burst of strength.  
  
"I would rather you not do that, Kamiya," Hiko Seijuro said in a low, vibrating voice.  
  
Kaoru ended up in Hiko's study. "Then tell me where that baka deshi of yours went," Kaoru growled, her hand still gripping the gold doorknob.  
  
"It's good to see you back," Hiko said with a smirk and taking a sip of his sake.  
  
"You're definitely not going to be of any help, are you?" said Kaoru in frustration, and she turned her back to search the rest of the floor.  
  
"If I didn't know any better, that baka deshi is probably strolling in the garden, moping like his dumb self," Hiko said to Kaoru's back.  
  
Without a word of thanks, Kaoru scrambled to run down the stairs in search of the door that led to the garden.  
  
"Ungrateful woman," Hiko grumbled before returning to his paperwork with a small grin tugging at the corner of his stiff lips.  
  
"Why do you have to be in the garden of all places?" Kaoru grumbled between breaths as she stumbled along marble hallway after another. "It's impossible to find anything in this place!" Kaoru growled and yelped as she tripped over her feet and smashed into the floor, face first. "Itai!" Kaoru yelled, feeling her cheek and elbows burn from sliding across the floor.  
  
"Ah! Daijoubu?" Some cried out, dropping whatever was in their hands and rushing towards Kaoru's fallen form.  
  
Kaoru just groaned as she sat up and brushed off her shaken nerves.  
  
"Kaoru-san!"  
  
Kaoru looked up to match the familiar voice with Misao's face. "Misao-chan! How are you?"  
  
"I'm great, but what are you doing here?" Misao asked, seeing Kaoru was looking extremely exhausted and tired.  
  
"Not important," Kaoru said, ignoring the slight heat rushing up to her cheeks. "Tell me, where's the garden?"  
  
"Eto.just go straight down this hall and at the end of it take a right. On your left side you should see a big wooden door."  
  
"Thanks, Misao-chan!" Kaoru yelled, sprinting down the hall.  
  
"Anytime," Misao murmured, knowing Kaoru' wasn't going to hear her. Misao sat crouched in the hallway, something uncomfortable, tugging at her guts. "Ah! Sou da!" Misao cried out, smashing her fist into her palm. "That's not the direction to the garden!" Misao yelled, searching frantically around for Kaoru's already gone form. "Kaoru-san! You're going towards the dojo!" Misao yelled, hoping the woman was able to hear her from wherever she was.  
  
Kaoru panted on, hearing a faint yell in the distance, but ignoring it as she went. She immediately found the big, wooden door and hefted it open by its large handle. "Ara?" Kaoru said, not finding any flowers in sight but a staircase leading to a lower level. "The dojo?" Kaoru pondered, finding herself climbing down the stairs to see if anyone was there. "Misao-chan no baka," Kaoru grumbled, finding the dojo to be completely empty.  
  
Walking back up the stairs, Kaoru looked both right and left, making a guess as to which was the way to the gardens. "I say.left!" Kaoru declared to no one in particular and stormed off in that direction, the soft padding of her feet on marble in her ears again. "Why are you doing this to me, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked as she felt her legs go numb with the constant running. "C'mon Kaoru!" Kaoru repeated to herself but abruptly stopped at a familiar sight.  
  
"The door," Kaoru mumbled, grabbing the familiar, metal handle of an old, splintered door and heaved it open.  
  
"Kaoru-dono!"  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru opened the door to see Kenshin's surprised face on the other side. He was obviously just headed back into the palace.  
  
"What are you doing here, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked, willing himself not to scoop the woman into his arms and embrace her for the rest of eternity.  
  
"Ah." Kaoru replied steadily, wincing at Kenshin's forced tone of voice. "I came here.to.eto."  
  
Kenshin watched Kaoru intently, noticing the sweat trickling down her face and they way her shoulders heaved up and down as she breathed heavily. Her hair was a tangled mess, but her eyes shone as vibrant as ever.  
  
"How should I put this," Kaoru mumbled more to herself than Kenshin. She fell to the floor with a loud thump, giving her legs some rest as she sat and pondered. She hadn't given any thought as to what she was going to tell Kenshin once she found him.  
  
"Are you okay?" Kenshin asked, crouching level off with Kaoru's hunched figure.  
  
Kaoru bit at her lower lip, and she took one of Kenshin's calloused hands and enveloping it with both of hers.  
  
"Kao."  
  
Kaoru silenced him with a finger set to his lips. "Kenshin.I." Kaoru stuttered, staring at her hands as she fiddled with his fingers. "Marry me!" Kaoru said loudly, forcing herself to say those words. She intended to tell him that she loved him, but found those words to be more awkward to say.  
  
Kenshin, too, sat on the floor, staring at Kaoru's unblinking blue eyes in confusion.  
  
"Marry me," Kaoru repeated in a more steady, sure voice. She suddenly regretted for saying such a stupid thing and so abruptly. "Kaoru no baka!" Kaoru thought, scolding herself. "Now Kenshin's going to think you're just some ditzy girl head over heels for him like every other woman that was here! Baka."  
  
Kenshin, on the other hand, stared at Kaoru dumbfounded. She was nervously playing with his hands, but he didn't seem to feel her fingers holding his own. He wanted to pinch his cheek to check whether he was in a dream or not, but with Kaoru holding his hands hostage, he couldn't do such a thing. Kaoru averted her eyes at Kenshin's lack of response to her sudden request.  
  
"Ano! Forget what I just said," Kaoru quickly said, cutting through the silence with haste. She fidgeted and retrieved her hands away from Kenshin's as if he burned her. "I just." Kaoru's stuttering was cut off by a strong set of lips pressing gently against hers. Kaoru's eyes were nearly out of their sockets by the time Kenshin pulled away, keeping his eyes locked on hers. She open and shut her mouth, finding words didn't seem to correctly exit from it.  
  
"Kaoru-dono, marry me," Kenshin said, repeating Kaoru's former request.  
  
Kaoru could only nod, and she flung her arms around Kenshin's neck as to confirm her reply. She buried her head into the crook of his neck and laughed. She laughed as if there was no tomorrow, feeling relieved and released from pressure she didn't seem to feel until just then.  
  
Kenshin couldn't help laugh with the woman in his arms, wrapping his own around her slender waist hidden underneath a baggy gi. The day couldn't get any better.  
  
"It took you two long enough!"  
  
Kaoru retracted from Kenshin's embrace and looked up to see Yahiko hovering above them both with his arms stubbornly crossed. "Ah.Yahiko," Kaoru said quietly, standing up from the cold floor and dusting herself off. "Do you mind keeping this a little quiet for a day or two. I just want to get some breathing space with Kenshin before anyone knows."  
  
"You sure?" Yahiko asked, smiling mischievously.  
  
".Yahiko." said Kenshin slowly, finding the strange glint in Yahiko's eyes to be less than reassuring.  
  
"As if I'm going to keep your engagement a secret!" Yahiko hollered, running down the hall, screaming the news to any ear that bothered to listen.  
  
"I'm going to kill him!" Kaoru groaned, slapping her hand to her forehead.  
  
"People were to find out sooner or later," Kenshin said, standing up and smiling at his future wife. "I was such a chicken not to have asked you before."  
  
Kaoru shook her head in response.  
  
"I just thought you still held a grudge on royalty, and I just thought it would be uncomfortable for you if I asked," Kenshin said awkwardly.  
  
"It was a petty thing that I should have dropped years ago," Kaoru sighed. "But I really don't want to dwell on that now." She smiled and wrapped her arms around Kenshin's neck. Not needing to tiptoe, she turned her head upward for a kiss. Kenshin replied without hesitation, feeling Kaoru melt into his arms.  
  
Kaoru pulled away slightly, her arms still around Kenshin's neck. He sent a small trail of kisses along her small nose, savoring the scent of Jasmine.  
  
"I love you Kenshin," Kaoru murmured.  
  
"I love you too, Kaoru," Kenshin replied.  
  
Kaoru smiled, snuggling into Kenshin's firm chest. She now had someone to love and care for, who loved her back. She couldn't be happier.  
  
~*~ FIN ~*~  
  
T.Anjel: Hehe.did I forget to say that this was the end of the fic? Ohoho! Well, now you know! Thanks everyone again for reading! Until next time, ciao! 


	13. The Sequal

A.N.: Sorry for taking so long. . .Yeah.so I got a lot of requests for a sequal. . . A lemon to be exact, no? ::glares at certain reviewers:: Ahahaha.yeah.well about that lemon. I swear I was going to make it all lemony, limey but it kind of turned around on me and. . . . Well, let's just say, this sequal's going to be a lot longer than I expected, and you will get that lemon. I promise and swear on my own grave. . . . It'll just take a couple of chapters to get there. ^__^;; Enjoy?  
  
WARNING: If you like happy endings, DO NOT read this chapter.  
  
Standard Disclaimers Apply  
  
~*~*~*~*~ Chapter Sequal.  
  
"Kenshin.no!"  
  
"Please, Kaoru. It won't hurt. I promise."  
  
"Not now! Please." Kaoru begged.  
  
"It's not as bad as it seems."  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "No."  
  
"Kaoru please."  
  
"When I say no I mean no," Kaoru said stubbornly.  
  
"It tastes perfectly fine."  
  
"Then you eat it!"  
  
"I did!"  
  
Kaoru crossed her arms in front of her chest, glaring at Kenshin. "You promise?"  
  
Kenshin just smiled, holding out a spoon for her to take. She took it cautiously and slowly dipped it into the soup Kenshin tried to help her concoct.  
  
"It'll be nightfall by the time you take a sip," Kenshin commented, watching as his wife carefully brought the spoon to her lips. "There's nothing on the spoon, Kaoru," Kenshin said. "What are you so afraid of?"  
  
Kaoru dropped the spoon on the wooden counter. "For the past month, I've been trying to make the same soup, and every time I tasted it, I nearly died."  
  
"It got better," Kenshin reassured, grimacing at the mentioning of the other soups he too had to taste.  
  
"That's not the first time you said that to me," Kaoru grumbled, averting her eyes and pouting her lips.  
  
"I'll prove it to you," Kenshin said with a good-natured sigh. He took the spoon from the countertop and dipped it into the soup. He emptied the contents of the spoon in his mouth, giving Kaoru a satisfied smile. She raised her eyebrows skeptically.  
  
Kenshin lowered his head and caught Kaoru's lips with his in one swift movement. Kaoru immediately responded back until she felt a rush of warm liquid being gently pushed into her mouth with Kenshin's tongue. She pulled back suddenly, wiping her mouth with her arm. "Kenshin!" she yelled with alarm, having had to force down the soup as a reflex action.  
  
"Gomen, Koishii," Kenshin said, grinning. "But it's not bad, is it?"  
  
Kaoru couldn't argue with his latter comment, but kept on a stubborn face.  
  
"Don't be mad," Kenshin said, biting his lower lip nervously. Whenever he spoke to Kaoru when she was mad, he always felt as if he was prodding a balloon with a needle. "Kaoru?"  
  
Kaoru didn't say anything in response. She turned away and stomped out of the kitchen, slamming the large door behind her.  
  
"Tsk tsk, Ouji-sama," Tae teased gently from the other side of the kitchen. She was stirring a batter full of clumps of flour. "You better go apologize before she really gets mad."  
  
Kenshin gave a quick bow before jogging off to chase after Kaoru. "She's quick," Kenshin thought, not finding a trace of his beloved after five minutes of running from hallway to hallway. "Where'd she go?"  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
Kaoru grinned and congratulated herself. She managed to get out to town before Kenshin caught her and pinned her down; it was a short game they played every so often for no particular reason. She strolled down the dusty road, greeting everyone she saw as she usually did every other day with a smile or wave.  
  
"Kaoru-san! Apples are delicious today!" An old man said from behind his fruit stand and tossed the passerby an apple.  
  
"Thank you!" Kaoru said, catching the apple and making a show of taking a bite of it. She gave him a quick wave before heading towards the Kamiya dojo. She hummed to herself a tune that matched her happy spirit. She sprung open the right dojo door, and dropped her apple at the sight that greeted her.  
  
He was sitting casually on the wooden porch, leaning against one of the posts. His legs were crossed and small glasses were perched dangerously low on his nose.  
  
"Yukishiro.Enishi," Kaoru said, remembering the man she met at the ball many moons ago. She kept both her eyes on him as she bent down and picked up her dirt-covered apple.  
  
"You remember!" Enishi said gleefully as if he was a child being offered a handful of sweets. He stood from the porch and approached Kaoru.  
  
Kaoru frowned. "What are you doing here?" She never did like his smile.  
  
"I was in the neighborhood, and I remembered that a beautiful woman lived here. From a few reliable sources around the town, I was informed that you were wed to the little prince on top of his little palace," Enishi said with a grin that made Kaoru cringe.  
  
"What are you doing here?" Kaoru repeated.  
  
"Just to pay a little visit," Enishi said, his face inches apart from Kaoru's now. "What should it matter to me whether you're married to a little bastard anyway?"  
  
Kaoru placed both hands flat on Enishi's chest and shoved him away. "I'm busy. Leave," she demanded, brushing passed him.  
  
"Oh c'mon, Kaoru-san," Enishi said; his voice lost its cool tone. "I was waiting an hour for you!"  
  
"I never asked you to come," Kaoru replied, not looking over her shoulder where she knew he was. She took off her slippers and stepped onto the porch. "How long are you planning on bugging me for?" Kaoru asked as the soft shuffling of footsteps behind her refused to cease. Enishi only shrugged with a grin in response.  
  
Kaoru growled and went to the kitchen to make herself some tea. Enishi stood silently behind her as her stiff form banged the pots and pans as she attempted to make tea. He leaned back casually against the wall. He smiled to himself as Kaoru slammed a small, cracked kettle on the stove. "Am I bothering you this much?"  
  
"Yes," Kaoru hissed, slowly turning around to peer at him from behind her rigid shoulder. She turned back towards the stove. She was quickly pouring herself tea when it she accidentally over spilled the cup and burned her hand. "Crap!" Kaoru yelled, biting her lower lip to bear the pain of her hand.  
  
"Let me see that," Enishi said, ignoring the death glare she sent his way. He took her hand into his gently, blowing on it and examining it. "Do you have band aids anywhere?" He asked, letting go of her hand and rummaging through the empty cupboards. He took out a small basin and filled it with cold water from the well. "Put your hand in it," he commanded and took her over to sit on the edge of the porch.  
  
Kaoru did as she was told, not saying anything to him. He grinned cockily at her before jogging off to find bandaids. "What the hell is he doing?" Kaoru growled to herself, ignoring the throbbing feeling in her hand. She heard him come back and settle himself next to her. She let him take her hand to dry it and wrap it with a long strip of white bandaid.  
  
"You still hate me?" he asked.  
  
"Yes," Kaoru replied.  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You've got issues," Kaoru said grumpily and mumbling her thanks as he finished wrapping her hand.  
  
Enishi laughed, and before Kaoru could ask what was so funny, the door to the dojo opened.  
  
"Kenshin!" Kaoru exclaimed, smiling. Her smile faltered at the expression she saw on her husband's face. She just realized how close she was sitting to Enishi, and he was still holding her bandaged hand. She immediately took her hand away and kept a smile on her face. "It took you long enough!" She said, walking off the porch and slipping into her slippers before making her way towards him.  
  
"What's he doing here?" Kenshin asked, his face grave.  
  
"He was already here when I got here," Kaoru said. "I told him to."  
  
"Himura-san," Enishi drawled, walking over to the married couple. "I give you my congratulations for being able to marry this beautiful woman. I hope you don't mind if I linger awhile more in the dojo. I have this day off today, and this place brings back wonderful memories," Enishi said, keeping both eyes on Kenshin.  
  
Finding the tension between the two men to be uncomfortable, Kaoru smiled and clapped her hands together. "Why don't I go get some tea? I have a class coming in a couple of minutes, so can you two behave?" Kaoru asked, looking seriously into both pairs of eyes. Enishi gave her a grin, and Kenshin looked away. "I'll take that as a yes," Kaoru said, turning her heel and heading to the kitchen to make some more tea.  
  
Kenshin carefully watched Kaoru head into the kitchen, while keeping his senses on Enishi. Once she was out of sight, Kenshin turned his head to Enishi who was watching him with sadistic eyes. "What are you doing here?" Kenshin asked, finding the man's presence to be uncomfortable.  
  
"I just wanted to pay dear Kaoru-san a little visit," Enishi replied innocently. "And to tell her about something I found out. A very interesting bit of information, mind you. You may know what I'm speaking of, yes?"  
  
Kenshin didn't reply, finding Enishi's threat to be something more than just empty.  
  
"Oh yes. . .what was her name. . . Tomoe-san?" Enishi asked, scratching his chin.  
  
In less than a second's time, Kenshin grabbed Enishi's collar, bringing the man's face close to his. "Don't you ever mention her name. . ."  
  
". . .to Kaoru?" Enishi finished, prying Kenshin's fingers off his clothes. "I have no guarantees my dear friend. I think she has a right to know, don't you?"  
  
"Kenshin-sensei?"  
  
Kenshin looked down, and immediately wiped the glare from his face when he saw a small child looking fearfully up at him. "Kyosuke!" Kenshin said in surprise, smiling down at the boy. He bent over and ruffled his hair. "Did I scare you? I'm sorry, Kyosuke."  
  
The child just nodded in response, still looking skeptically at Kenshin.  
  
Kenshin gave him a sincere smile, offering his hand. "C'mon, Kyosuke." The boy put his small hands in Kenshin's. Kenshin gently grabbed it and led him towards the dojo, not glancing over to where Enishi stood silently.  
  
"Were you mad?" Kyosuke asked timidly.  
  
"Just a little," Kenshin replied. "But not at you, of course!"  
  
"Did that man make you mad?"  
  
"Yeah," Kenshin said quietly. "But that doesn't matter. Why don't we warm up before your other classmates get here."  
  
"Okay," Kyosuke said with a small nod, making his short black hair bounce lightly on his head. He grabbed a small shinai from the wall and practiced basic swings with the help of Kenshin.  
  
"You're getting so good at this!" Kenshin complimented, earning a wide smile from the boy. Kenshin turned around to the open doorway to see Kaoru with her arms crossed and smiling.  
  
"You're early, Kyosuke!" Kaoru said. "And I see you've improved!" Kaoru walked over to the two and squatted down, giving Kyosuke a friendly ruffling of the hair. "I set up a table with tea for you and Yukishiro- san," Kaoru said, looking up at Kenshin.  
  
"I'll stay here and help with the class," Kenshin automatically responded.  
  
Kaoru huffed, but didn't say anything in response. She stood up and dusted herself off. She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped when scattered footsteps clumsily scuttled into the old dojo.  
  
"Kamiya-sensei! Konnichiwa!" Came a chorus of two boys. Kaoru knew from their voices that they were the two rowdy twins who both had talent with the sword, but decided to use it in a more comedic manner.  
  
"Hello boys," Kaoru greeted. Before the two could start up on any raucous activity, Kaoru set them both to work on scrubbing the dojo floors.  
  
"Awww! Why do we have to scrub the floors?"  
  
"It's your turns, and it's also part of training. Now get to it!" Kaoru demanded, taking a bokken and slamming it threatening on the wall.  
  
"Kenshin-sensei!" The twins chorused. "Help us! Your wife has gone mad!"  
  
Kenshin chuckled at the statement, and Kaoru fumed. "Both of you are going to wash the floor ten times! I'll be counting. Get to it!" She banged the bokken on the wall again.  
  
"I told you two not to provoke the busu," came a voice from the doorway, snickering.  
  
Kaoru turned her blazing eyes towards the familiar boy with unruly, spiky hair. "You, Yahiko-chan, will clean up the whole patio and every room. Any word of complaint and you'll do everything over twenty times," Kaoru said, her voice dripping with a sadistic tone. "I'm glad you made it over from the stables in time. Get to work!"  
  
Yahiko frowned and stomped away, mumbling a creative string of curses as he did.  
  
"You shouldn't leave Enishi in there alone, Kenshin," Kaoru said, replacing the bokken on the wall and looking down at Kenshin.  
  
"Don't make me talk to him, Kaoru. Let alone sit in the same room! He's not my favorite person. . ."  
  
"Why not?" Kaoru asked, and seeing Kenshin's uneasy glance, she dragged him outside the dojo and repeated the question.  
  
"He. . .knows something of my past that I wish no one knew about. . .even you. . . I'm sorry, Kaoru. . . I . . .," Kenshin said, stumbling through his words. Kaoru rubbed Kenshin's upper arm comfortingly.  
  
"We'll talk about this after today's class, ne?" She suggested, trying to make him smile or nod. He did the latter, and let the issue drop for the moment. "Oh look! The other students are here!" Kaoru said, looking over Kenshin's shoulder to see five kids dragging their feet over to the dojo.  
  
"What happened to you?" Kaoru asked, seeing the childrens' faces were caked with mud and dirt. She went over to them one by one, getting off most of the dirt with her fingers.  
  
"Yamaguchi-san stopped us while we were walking over here, and made him help clean up his shop!" One of the older boys complained.  
  
"It was more like slave labor," a girl grumbled, brushing Kaoru's hand away and crossing her arms.  
  
"Well, I can't tell him not to do it. He's an old man," Kaoru said with a helpless shrug. "But let's get started, ne?"  
  
"I wonder why he doesn't die already," the girl mumbled, trudging off into the dojo after the four boys.  
  
"Can you start the class with warm-ups, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked, tugging gently at his sleeve. "I'm going to get Yukishiro-san."  
  
Kenshin nodded and planted a small kiss on her head as an apology before going in after the kids. Kaoru treaded softly down the long wooden platform, and opened the guest room shoji screen. "Ara?" Kaoru mumbled to herself, finding the room to be completely empty.  
  
"Looking for me?"  
  
Kaoru jumped and swiveled around to find herself pinned against the door with Enishi's face a mere inch away from hers. "Actually, yes," Kaoru replied, pushing him away.  
  
"I was just cleaning up the teacups. I was guessing Kenshin wouldn't join me," Enishi said, his usual sinister grin smoldered on his face.  
  
"Well, I was going to suggest to you to leave and find yourself something useful to do," Kaoru said, smiling in a sickeningly sweet way. "You're an important man. You're probably wanted somewhere."  
  
"So you have a class going on right now?" Enishi asked, as if he hadn't heard a word Kaoru said.  
  
Kaoru nodded.  
  
"May I watch?"  
  
Kaoru sighed and led the way to the dojo, ignoring Enishi's pointless comments and questions. Before they entered, Kaoru turned around and pointed her finger under Enishi's nose. "You sit in the corner and stay quiet," Kaoru commanded, making sure she was heard over the scattered battle cries made by the children. Enishi nodded obediently and did as he was told.  
  
Kaoru entered the dojo after him giving every child a smile. "Is everybody warmed up?" There was a loud chorus of "Yes". Kaoru grabbed her personal bokken off the wall and held it up perfectly still in front of her despite her burnt hand. "You can sit down, Kenshin. Thanks.Okay guys! I want you to try to perfect your swings! Then we can maybe go to sparring a little." There was a small round of cheer.  
  
Kenshin set his bokken to the wall, and sat a couple of good feet away from Enishi. He kept his eyes glued to his beloved. A lump became stuck in Kenshin's throat when he heard Enishi say, "You haven't told her, have you?"  
  
Kenshin sat rigid, his spine upright, and his face a hard, impassive mask.  
  
Enishi chuckled. "I didn't think so. And don't you worry. By the end of tonight, your beloved wife will know of your wonderful past."  
  
Kenshin glowered at the floor, and made sure not to look at Enishi.  
  
"Suit yourself," Enishi said with an exaggerated sigh and casually leaned back against the wall.  
  
"Ne, Kenshin!" Kaoru called, wiping sweat from her brow. "We started sparring. Do you mind helping some of the kids out?"  
  
Kenshin nodded, struggling hard to wipe the stony look off his face. "Sure," he replied, hoping his voice sounded lighter than he felt. From the corner of his eye, he saw Enishi stand from his spot.  
  
"May I have a word, Kaoru-san?" Enishi asked politely, and motioning to the door.  
  
Kaoru looked skeptically at him and followed, leaving Kenshin to the determined class.  
  
"What is it?" Kaoru asked.  
  
"I just wanted to say good-bye before I left," Enishi said. He gently touched the space between her eyebrows. "You're going to have wrinkles at an early age if you keep frowning like that."  
  
Kaoru rolled her eyes. "Well, good-bye," she said. "I hope you don't ever come by here again."  
  
"Is it 'cause I make Kenshin uncomfortable?"  
  
"You make me uncomfortable!" said Kaoru, her voice, a mix of sarcasm and seriousness.  
  
Enishi chuckled a chuckle that would make any other woman blush to the roots of her hair. "Well, I wish you two a long-lasting marriage," Enishi said, smirking as he did. He looked as if he was about to leave but hesitated. "Uhm.Kaoru-san.Would you remember to ask Kenshin about a certain Tomoe-san for me?" Enishi smiled. "Thanks. And I'll see you in the afterlife." He gave a small wave before turning his heel, and walking smoothly away from the Kamiya dojo without a second look back.  
  
"Tomoe-san?" Kaoru mumbled, wondering what he was talking about. She had a feeling it meant trouble, but didn't brood on it.  
  
"Kamiya-sensei!" The little boy, Kyosuke cried out once Kaoru reentered the dojo. "Okaa-san said to come home before dark!"  
  
Kaoru nodded. "Then we're done for today, okay? Next lesson is next week and same time! If Yamaguchi-san stops you, tell him you're late for your lesson. Sayonara!" Kaoru waved as all the children gauchely filed out. She kept an eye on them until they were all out of sight.  
  
"What did Enishi say to you?" Kenshin asked, cleaning up the messy pile of shinais the children left on the floor.  
  
"Eh?" Kaoru asked dumbly, helping Kenshin with the wooden weapons. "Oh.he just wanted to say bye."  
  
Kenshin nodded.  
  
"And he told me to ask about some Tomoe-san?" Kaoru said softly, recalling what Enishi told her. She saw Kenshin bite his lower lip. "What is it Kenshin?"  
  
"I." Kenshin began, but stopped. He sat down, and tugged on Kaoru's sleeve for her to do the same. "I should've told you this sooner, and I'm sorry Kaoru-dono," said Kenshin, his voice low and somber.  
  
"Wha." Kaoru began, but was silenced by Kenshin's narrowed eyes. She was disturbed by his suddenly fierce aura and the -dono he reattached to her name.  
  
"I had a wife," Kenshin said, leaving time after his simple sentence for the meaning to sink in. "Her name was Tomoe."  
  
"A wife. . ." Kaoru repeated, finding her voice only came out in a strained whisper.  
  
Kenshin nodded and spoke slowly, "It was a long time ago. We were young and foolish. And we eloped. I had run from the palace back then, because she was to marry some other man from the kingdom of Gilope. We lived quietly in the woods." Kenshin paused and looked up fearfully at his wife who stared at him straight in his eyes. He swallowed hard when he saw her eyes were coated with tears. She didn't say anything to him.  
  
Kenshin sighed and continued, finding it hard to continually stare into Kaoru's eyes and not feel sickened by his own stupidity and selfishness. "The man Tomoe was supposed to marry sent out an assassin to kill me. We sparred and he lost his sword, but he had a gun and shot at me." Kenshin sucked in his breath. "Tomoe came in the way and the bullet went straight through her heart. And she left me this scar," Kenshin whispered, gently touching the cross-shaped scar. "I'm sorry Kaoru-dono."  
  
Kaoru felt torn. Torn between the man she loved dearly and the secret he didn't decide to tell until after marriage and after her confrontation.  
  
"I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner," Kenshin said. "I was too scared I would lose you if I told you." Kenshin attempted a laugh. "It looks like I lost either way then, doesn't it?"  
  
Kaoru said nothing.  
  
"I'm sorry, Kaoru-dono. But still know I will always love you. I'll have a divorce arranged immediately." Kenshin stood up and quickly left the dojo, leaving his wife to sit in the middle of the floor, clenching a fistful of her pants in her fists.  
  
"Kenshin." Kaoru whispered, sighing and looked up to see him gone. "No.Kenshin." Kaoru tried standing up, but found her legs to be completely numb. She pounded her legs with her fists, forcing blood to rush through them. She stumbled onto her feet and ran out of the dojo, forgetting about her sandals. Kenshin was nowhere in sight.  
  
"KENSHIN!" Kaoru yelled, her throat scratchy and sore. She tried running down the dirt road, and yelped in pain when a sharp rock pierced her foot. "Kuso! Kenshin! Don't go.Kenshin." Kaoru leaned heavily against the outside wall of the dojo. She felt her heavy eyelids slowly drape over her eyes. "Kenshin."  
  
~*~*~*~*~  
  
"Wha."  
  
"You're awake!"  
  
"Misao-chan?"  
  
"You look like shit."  
  
"Thanks." Kaoru peeked open an eye to find herself in her room in the palace. It was dark, and she saw the moon hanging outside her window.  
  
"It's early," Misao informed, placing a cool cloth on Kaoru's forehead. "Some man by the name of Yamaguchi-san found you lying on the floor and called some royal official hanging around town. He brought you in."  
  
Kaoru racked her brain, trying to remember why her foot hurt and why her throat was sore. "Kenshin."  
  
"He's gone, Kaoru-san," Misao whispered. "I didn't want to tell you till morning, but I guess I should tell you now."  
  
Kaoru sat up, looking worried. She let the cloth on her forehead drop to her lap. "Where is he?"  
  
"He scribbled down some nonsense about divorce, saying he's leaving all that belonged to him to you. Which includes the kingdom and everything in it after Ou-sama dies," Misao said quickly. "After that, he just ran out, pushing everyone away." Misao showed a bruise on her arm for evidence. She shrugged hopelessly before giving Kaoru a wrinkled piece of paper with Kenshin's scrawled writing all over it. "That's what he left behind."  
  
Kaoru took it, taking it delicately into her hands. "So he's just gone?"  
  
Misao nodded. "I doubt he'll be gone for long. . . I mean. . . ."  
  
Kaoru shook her head. "He's gone for sure. He thinks he's not worthy enough for me anymore. . . " Kaoru fumed and crumpled the sheet of paper in her fist. "That stupid bastard!"  
  
".Kaoru..san?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"You're really going to go looking for Ouji-sama?" Misao asked.  
  
"Of course," Kaoru said, lying back down and placing the cloth back on her forehead. "And there's no doubt I'll find him and drag his unworthy ass back here."  
  
Misao grinned. "Okay. Just asking."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
A.N: Yeah.Enishi is not related to Tomoe in this fic. And sorry for the badly written chapter. Where did the sappiness go? I have no clue. I just thought of this whole new idea for the sequal, and I couldn't let it go. So as I said earlier, the whole lovey dovey stuff between Kenshin and Kaoru will come. I assure you. Please review? Thanks a bunch. If no one has anything to do over the summer and would be interested in reading the continuation. . . ahahaha . . .the rest of the sequal is going to be posted under To Love again what was once hated. You think the title's too long? Okay. . . ciao. 


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